The Girl Next Door
by DeanneYunFarron
Summary: After Serah married Snow and ran off with him, Lightning was left alone in Bodhum, with only an empty house and a saddened heart. That is, until a certain red-headed Pulsian moved in next door.
1. Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 13, or the characters. If I did, things would be quite different.**

**Author's Note: Well, I was reading some Lightning/Vanille pairing stuff, and I just figured I'd try my hand at it. Please be kind, as I'm not really sure how good I'll be. Reviews, particularly **_**constructive**_** criticism, are a very welcome thing. Here I go!**

* * *

**Chapter One: Meeting**

* * *

"_Claire…I'm going to marry Snow."_

"…_What?"_

"_Snow. I'm going to marry him. He asked me yesterday…and I said yes."_

"_No! You can't marry that buffoon!"_

"_I'm sorry…I love him. The wedding will be in three months. If you would go….that would mean the world to me."_

"…"

That was a year ago. A year since that idiot had whisked her sister away without a second thought. Without thinking how it would affect her, losing her only remaining family.

"Farron? Hey, Farron, snap out of it!"

Lightning was brought crashing back to reality by the gruff voice of her commanding officer, Amodar.

"Sorry, sir, what were you saying?"

"I was asking whether or not you were planning on going home today. You've been here practically all week. When was the last time you slept?"

"I…"

Amodar held up a hand. "Nevermind. Don't answer that. General, you need to go home. It's not healthy for you to be here, buried up to your nose in all this work."

"Sir, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I'm ordering you to go home, and to not come back for at least three days."

"Sir!"

"I mean it, Farron. I see you here anytime before that, and I'll put you on house arrest."

Lightning sighed. It was futile to argue, she knew she wouldn't win. And she was starting to get a headache anyway. "Alright. I'm leaving."

Amodar's eyes widened. He hadn't expected her to give up so easily. "Good. Get some rest, General."

"…Sir."

She stood up from her chair and brushed past him on her way out of her office.

"And Farron?"

She stopped and looked back at him.

"Try to relax."

She rolled her eyes and headed for the elevator, hitting the lobby button after she stepped inside.

Lightning sighed and placed her head on the wall. Amodar didn't seem to understand. Burying herself in her work kept her from thinking. Thinking about things she'd rather not think about.

Like the wedding.

She had attended, but only to try to talk Serah out of it. She'd caused such a commotion that the wedding had to be cancelled. They had ended up running off to Nautilus to get married instead. She hadn't seen her sister in over nine months.

She missed her terribly.

The elevator dinged, and she stepped out, headed for the parking lot. Her motorcycle was one of the only vehicles left, as everyone else had gone home.

She put the keys into the ignition, and revved off, too distracted to even realize where she was going.

Thankfully, her mind had an excellent autopilot, so she was home within twenty minutes with no problems.

She stepped off the bike, pulling out her house keys in the process. She placed her keys in the lock, and it clicked open, allowing her entry.

She'd forgotten how quiet and empty it was without her sister living with her.

Lightning decided to take a shower before heading to the bar, not really knowing why. A shower just sounded like a good idea.

She headed into the bathroom and undressed, turning on the water to as hot as she could handle. She stepped inside and let the soothing drops run down her face and body, calming her.

* * *

"This is exciting! I heard Bodhum is a beautiful place to live!" Vanille pressed her face against the car window, staring out at the beach town.

The raven-haired woman in the driver's seat chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard the same. Apparently, the sunsets here are to die for."

Vanille turned to look at her sister. "Sunsets are so romantic. I hope I find a special someone to share it with!"

"What about me?"

Vanille rolled her eyes and giggled. "Fang, you're my sister. I meant a _special_ special!"

Fang snorted. "I'm plenty special special!"

Vanille groaned, than brightened. "Look, look, we're here!"

Fang pulled the car into the driveway of the beach home and put it in park. Vanille opened her door and ran out, staring at the house in awe.

"Van! Come help me with the suitcases!"

"Coming!" Vanille skipped to the trunk and grabbed her two suitcases, than took the keys from Fang and skipped to the door. Opening it, she gasped. "It's so beautiful in here!"

"Yeah, it's a nice place." Fang followed her inside, whistling.

"Come on, I want to go explore the rest of the city!" Vanille simply dumped her bags down and bounded out the door.

"Van, hold on! Don't you want to unpack?"

"I'll unpack later!" she called out behind her.

"Well, let's at least take the car!"

"Walking is more fun!"

"Oh, alright," Fang relented, chasing after her.

* * *

Fang and Vanille took about an hour window-shopping, familiarizing themselves with the many stores and their proprietors. They eventually hit a bar called Lebreau's.

"Hey there, you two are some fresh faces!" A woman called out to them from behind the bar.

They approached the counter. "Yeah, we just moved here! I'm Vanille, and this is Fang!"

The woman nodded. "I'm Lebreau, and this is my bar. What can I get for you?"

"I'll take a beer, and a cranberry juice for the kid."

Lebreau laughed. "Coming right up!"

Vanille turned away and leaned on the counter, surveying the bar. Everyone seemed in jovial spirits. This seemed like a place for her.

"One beer, and one cranberry juice." Lebreau placed the drinks on the counter and started cleaning some glasses. "So, how are you settling in?"

"Good so far. We haven't actually got around to unpacking, as this one was eager to hit the town." Fang indicated Vanille, who was happily sipping on her juice.

"Well, that's good. If you ever need any help, feel free to come to me. I'm the eyes and ears of this place. And I always love to help new faces."

"Good to know."

Vanille continued her survey of the bar, enjoying the uplifted spirits.

"Light, can I get you another one?"

"Yeah."

Vanille turned at the sound of a slightly husky, yet feminine voice. The woman was sitting on a barstool, casually leaning over. She was dressed in tight-fitting dark jeans, with a light blue tank top, which accentuated her curves and toned stomach. Her hair was a light pink that was swept to fall over her left shoulder.

"Here ya go." Lebreau placed a beer on the counter. As the woman took the beer, she glanced in Vanille's direction.

Her eyes were a crystal blue, and Vanille was frozen under her gaze.

This woman was beautiful.

She looked away quickly, unable to hold that piercing gaze.

"So Fang, Vanille, anything else?" Lebreau returned her attention to the two sisters.

Vanille placed her empty glass on the counter. "No thank you, I think that will be all for today. See you tomorrow!" She raced out like she was running on hot coals, Fang on her heels.

* * *

Lightning casually took a sip of her beer and addressed Lebreau. "Who was that?"

Lebreau smiled. "New in town, apparently. The dark-haired one was Fang, and the younger one was Vanille, I think."

"Vanille and Fang, huh? Those are interesting names."

"And Lightning?"

Lightning rolled her eyes and took another sip of her beer. "And Lebreau?"

Lebreau laughed. "Touche."

Lightning slapped down a few gil. "Thanks for the beer. See you tomorrow, maybe."

"Bye Light. Thanks for the company."

She nodded in Lebreau's general direction and headed for the door, ready to go home and go to sleep. A light buzz was settling in, and she intended to get home before a headache tried to rear its head.

As she walked to her bike, her mind wandered to the redheaded girl. She had simply looked at her, and the girl had ran out like she'd seen a ghost. _Not a great first impression_, Lightning thought.

But her eyes…they were a striking green.

* * *

"Vanille, what the heck was that? Why'd you run out of there?" Fang asked Vanille as they trudged back to their new house.

Vanille stayed silent, deep in thought.

"Van!" Fang snapped her fingers in front of the younger girl's face.

"She was so…_pretty._"

Fang stopped, than snickered. "Have you found your _special_ special someone already?"

Vanille gasped softly. "What? No! I don't even know her name!"

Fang shook her head. "You are so hopeless."

"I am not!"

They reached their house within a matter of minutes. It seemed that the patron next door was just getting home as well. They got off their motorcycle and headed for the door, removing their helmet once they stepped onto the porch.

Under the light by the door, Vanille could just make out a sweep of pink hair before the door opened and closed, the person disappearing into the house.

"It's…her."

* * *

**A/N: So that's the first chapter. I know, it's short, but I simply wanted to get the first meeting out of the way. Hopefully, it doesn't seem to rushed. Again, I'm still relatively new to this. Lemme know what you think! Please, leave me some reviews, letting me know how I'm doing. It'd really help this story be the best it absolutely can be. Anyway, peace out.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	2. Introduction

**Author's Note: Hey dudes and dudettes, thanks for the nice reviews. For those who left unsigned reviews, please see my responses below:**

**Kirika: Yeah, it wasn't very nice of Serah to run off. But she tried with Light, ya know? And no worries, she and Light will reunite. Haha I rhymed. Anyway, thank you for the kind review. Hopefully you'll like this chapter.**

**Yoji: Thanks for the review. Here is the next installment.**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Introduction**

* * *

"I can't believe she lives next door!" Vanille exclaimed as she ate her eggs.

"Van, you kept me up all night talkin' about it. Can I please eat my breakfast in peace?" Fang was extremely tired and extremely cranky.

"But Fang! She _lives_ next door! I mean, _next door_!" Vanille couldn't understand why Fang wasn't as up-in-arms as she was.

"Yes Vanille, I know she lives next door. Unlike you, however, I don't have a huge crush on her, whoever she is. I mean, Van, you don't even know her name!"

"Yeah, but…" Vanille didn't know how to respond.

"So, maybe you should find out what her name is first, eh?" Fang poured herself some milk and glanced at Vanille over the rim of the glass.

Vanille brightened. "Oh, I know! I'll go ask Lebreau! Bye Fang!" Fang could almost see the smoke trails Vanille left behind as she sprinted out the door.

Fang brought her glass up to her mouth and took a sip, shaking her head. Her sister was on a warpath, and that was never a good thing.

* * *

"Lebreau! Lebreau!" Vanille charged through the door of the bar.

"Hey, Vanille. Back for another cranberry juice?" the bartender took in Vanille's appearance; she was sweaty and her breathing was slightly labored. She must have ran here.

"What? No, not right now!"

"Oh. Can I get you another kind, then? Apple, maybe?"

"No, that's not what I'm here for! That woman yesterday, who was here, with the pink hair. What was her name?"

"You ran all the way here just for that? Why's it so important to you?" Lebreau was beginning to understand what was going on.

Vanille reddened. "N-no reason…"

At that moment, three men came through the door. One was large and muscular, with spiked orange hair. One was blond, with goggles on his head, and the last had styled blue hair and a pretty good fashion sense.

"Hey, Lebreau, what's up?" the orange-haired one called.

"Gadot. I'm surprised to see you here so early. I thought you'd have some major hangovers."

Gadot scratched his head and laughed loudly. "We're not here for drinks, just to keep you company, see if you needed some help back there."

"As a matter of fact, I do. Why don't you guys hold down the fort while I take my new friend here out."

"New friend?" The three guys turned to see Vanille simple standing there, unsure of what to do.

She wavered slightly under their stare. "Hi…I'm Vanille."

The blonde one approached her, than grasped her hand. "I'm Maqui. It's great to meet you, Vanille."

The blue-haired one was the next to introduce himself. "Charmed. My name's Yuj."

Gadot simply ruffled her hair. "I'm Gadot. Nice to meet you, kid."

Vanille smiled at them. They were such a cheery bunch.

Lebreau stepped out from behind the counter. "I expect to see this place standing when I get back, unlike last time."

"That was one time!"

Lebreau beckoned to Vanille, and they left the bar.

"So, in all seriousness, why do you want to know her name?" Lebreau asked as they walked toward town.

"Uhm, well…"

"Could it be…you have a crush on her?" Lebreau tried.

Vanille jumped back slightly. "What? No!"

Lebreau laughed. "You totally do! Oh, this is just precious!"

"It's not funny!" Vanille cried, embarrassed.

"What isn't funny?"

Vanille stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of a familiar voice. There stood the pink-haired woman, in a black tank top and a pair of blue shorts that stopped at her upper thigh, showing off her long and slender, yet toned, legs.

"Hey there!" Lebreau greeted her.

"Hello, Lebreau." The woman nodded at her, than turned to Vanille. "Your name is Vanille, right?"

_She knows my name!_ Vanille thought.

The woman raised an eyebrow at Vanille's silence. "Can you talk?"

"Uh, I…you…Bye!" Vanille grabbed Lebreau by the arm and ran off, leaving the woman confused and irritated.

_Second impression? Not so great either, _Lightning thought to herself.

* * *

"Vanille, slow down! I think you're gonna pull my arm out!" Lebreau shouted to the redhead as they ran.

Vanille slowed down and released Lebreau's arm. "Sorry."

Lebreau rubbed her arm and rolled her shoulder. "Geez! I know you like her and all, but that wasn't the way to go about it."

Vanille bent over, trying to catch her breath. "I know. But I saw her, and I just panicked."

Lebreau smiled. "I know how you feel. Being around the one you like isn't easy. But, running away every time you see them doesn't help either."

"What should I do?" Vanille asked.

"Try simply talking to her, even if it's only for a little while."

"Talk to her?" Vanille squeaked. "I can't even be in the same vicinity as her, let alone talk to her!"

"You're gonna have to do that eventually, Vanille," Lebreau said. "You can't keep running away from this, otherwise you'll never get anywhere."

Vanille sighed, defeated. "I know…"

Lebreau placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go home? You can try again later, maybe even tomorrow."

"What about you?"

Lebreau grinned. "I'm gonna go back to my bar before those dimwits burn it down again."

"Again?" But Lebreau was already walking away. As she did, she called back to Vanille. "By the way, her name is Lightning." Then, she was gone.

Vanille stuck her hands in her pockets and began the trek home.

* * *

Fang had been simply flipping channels on their TV since Vanille left, trying to familiarize herself with the stations.

"Fang? I'm back!" Vanille called as she walked through the front door.

"Already? It's only been a couple hours. How did it go?" Fang turned off the TV and focused her attention on her little sister.

"Well, I did find out her name. It's Lightning."

Fang waited for Vanille to divulge more, but the redhead stayed silent. "What, that's it?"

"Yeah…"

Fang patted the seat next to her and Vanille sat down. "So, what's your plan from here?"

"I don't really know. Lebreau suggested I try talking to her."

"Well, that's not bad. It could work."

"How can it? Every time I see her, I run the opposite direction!"

"You're gonna have to work on that, eh?" Fang smiled, amused.

"No kidding."

* * *

Lightning had meandered around town all day, unsure of what to do ever since Amodar sent her home yesterday. She had buried herself in work for so many years, she didn't really remember how to do anything else. Maybe she'd head back to Lebreau's.

As she walked, her thoughts traveled to the redhead, Vanille. Every time they encountered one another, the younger girl simply ran away. Lightning didn't know why, but she actually _cared_ why the redhead was unable to be in her presence.

She shook her head, chasing the thoughts away. It wasn't like her to think like this, and she didn't like it.

She made it to Lebreau's a few minutes later, and pushed the door open.

"Hey, Light!" Lebreau called out.

She nodded her head in response and took a seat at the bar.

"What can I get you for?"

"Just a beer."

"Coming right up!"

"Hey, Lightning!" Gadot approached the soldier, with Maqui and Yuj at his heels.

"What do you want?" Lightning said coldly.

"Nothing. Just saying hi, is all."

The brunette returned with Lightning's beer. Lightning picked it up and took a sip.

"So, how have you been?" Maqui tried.

"Fantastic. Ever since my sister left to get married to your idiotic leader, I've been just fantastic," she said sarcastically.

"Uh…"

"I'm leaving." Lightning placed a few gil on the counter, not wanting to be there any longer. She got off the stool and left the bar, frustrated.

She didn't pay attention to where she was going and wouldn't have stopped walking if she hadn't knocked into something solid.

"Oof!" A voice squeaked.

Lightning looked down to discover Vanille on the floor. She looked up and found that she was next to her own house. She looked back down at the redhead. "You live next door?"

Vanille looked up, smiling sheepishly. "Surprise…"

Lightning cocked an eyebrow, but held out a hand to help her out and Vanille took it gladly, dusting herself off as she stood. "Uhm…" she started, but faltered.

"Were you going somewhere?" Lightning asked.

"Actually, I was kind of looking for you…" Vanille whispered softly.

"Me?" Lightning was genuinely surprised. "What for?"

"I-just-wanted-to-say-I-was-sorry-for-running-off-every-time-we-ran-into-each-other-it's-just-that-you-make-me-really-nervous-but-that's-not-a-good-excuse-so-again-I'm-sorry-I-think-it's-time-for-a-proper-introduction-my-name-is-Vanille-what's-yours?" Vanille sucked in a breath and looked down, holding out her hand.

Lightning blinked a couple times, not really sure what just happened. Then, she smiled just a little bit and took the redhead's hand and shook it. "My name is Lightning. It's nice to meet you, Vanille."

Vanille looked at their hands, than up at the soldier. She was still in disbelief at the fact that she hadn't run away yet.

They looked at each for a few more seconds before Vanille dropped her hand, blushing slightly. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Lightning." She skipped off down the street, whistling.

Lightning stood there for a few more moments. _She's…pretty cute when she blushes, _she thought, smiling again.

She walked the remaining distance to her own house and unlocked the door, closing it quietly behind her.

_Third impression? Pretty good._

* * *

**A/N: Well, here is the update. Hopefully, you all enjoyed it. I don't know when the next one will be up, as I'm going to Washington for a few days, but, keep an eye out. It may be here sooner than you think. Maybe not. I don't really know. Peace out.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	3. Occupations

**Author's Note: What up, guys? I'm back from Washington. Guess who's going to college? THIS PERSON. *indicates self* Yeah, that's me :D Anywho, thank you so much for the reviews, and favorite stories, and story alerts and all that fun stuff. For those who left unsigned reviews, or I can't PM you, see my response below:**

**kirika: Yeah, shortness is kind of my problem for these chapters right now. I'm doing my best to make them longer, but ya know. Fang will show up more as the story goes on, to be the big sister to Vanille and eventual close friend of Lightning. Thanks for the review!**

**TheNomade5: Fast updates are my specialty at times, and at other times, not so much haha. Thanks for the kind review. I hope you like the update.**

**Yeah, so ya'll are too kind. Here is the update, and I hopes youse enjoys.**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Occupations**

* * *

"FANG!" Vanille bounded through the door of her sister's room and leaped onto her bed, jumping up and down. "Fang, wake up!"

"Nggh…wha…?" Fang muttered.

"Wake up! I need to tell you something! Something important!" Vanille exclaimed.

Fang's eyes struggled open slowly but surely, and her emerald orbs eventually found Vanille. "What are you talkin' about?" She turned to her bedside table and picked up the clock. Her eyes widened slightly and she frowned. "Van, it's six in the morning! And it's Saturday! What the hell is so important that you had to wake me up so damn early?"

"It's Lightning," Vanille answered simply.

Fang mentally rolled her eyes, but sat up groggily nontheless. "Alright, Van. What about Lightning?"

"I talked to her!" Vanille squeaked.

Fang just sat there, blinking slowly. "That's all?"

Vanille's face fell. "Well, I thought you'd be happier than that."

"Van, it's six in the morning. On a Saturday. Nothin' will make me very happy right now," Fang did her best to reassure her younger sister.

"Okay…" Vanille looked slightly more upbeat.

Fang fell back against her pillow and rolled over, closing her eyes. "Now, go back to bed." She stopped for a moment, than lazily opened one eye to look at Vanille. "Wait a minute. Why aren't you in your pajamas?"

"I never went to bed. I've been out since last night," Vanille said cautiously.

Fang jolted up. "Van! You know I don't want you out so late! What were you thinkin'?"

Vanille got up from the bed and clasped her hands behind her back. "After I finally built up the courage, I just couldn't sleep. I was too excited, I'm sorry."

Fang lay back once again and sighed. "I know, I know. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have exploded like that. It's just, what if somethin' happened to you? I would never forgive myself."

"Fang, I can take care of myself."

"You're still a teenager."

"I'll be turning twenty in a few weeks. Besides, you're only twenty-one. You're not even that much older than me!" Vanille retorted.

Fang snorted. "Alright, you've made your point. Still, you should get to bed. You need your rest; you've got a job interview in a few hours."

"What?"

"Oh right. I forgot to tell you. I set you up for an interview at a clothing store. Good night!" Fang closed her eyes quickly.

"Fang! That's not funny! I don't have any experience!"

"You'll be fine, Van. The manager seems nice enough, and you have the right personality for it. Don't worry too much, or you'll screw up the interview."

"Why do I need a job?" Vanille complained.

"Because, we can't pay for this house without money. Jobs pay money. Hence, we get jobs."

"Well, what about you?"

"After I go back to sleep-" Fang looked pointedly at Vanille, "-I'm gonna go ask Lebreau for a job at the bar."

Vanille shook her head. "Fine. But I'm still mad at you for not telling me sooner."

"Sure thing. Now, go to sleep." Fang closed her eyes, and very quickly, her breathing became deep and even, indicating her unconsciousness.

Vanille left the bedroom and headed for her own, slamming the door loudly behind her. A curse drifted out from behind Fang's door. Vanille poked her head out for a second to yell, "Payback!" before slamming it again, grinning to herself.

* * *

"So, your sister told me you have no work experience. Is that right?"

Vanille looked at the ground. "Yeah."

The manager, named Rygdea, smiled. "No worries. This job doesn't really take much experience, just the right attitude. And from what I've seen, you've got it. Congratulations, the job is yours."

Vanille brightened. "Really? Oh, thank you, sir!"

Rygdea laughed. "Please, don't call me 'sir.'. Call me Rygdea, as that is my name."

"Okay, Rygdea."

"Perfect. Now, I've got some errands to run, so I'll leave it to you to hold down the fort."

Vanille's smile faltered. "Already? But, it's my first day!"

Rygdea laughed again. "Vanille, it's really not that hard. Don't fret so much, you'll break out." He stood up and walked to the door, looking back to give her a wave. "Bye bye now!" Then, he was gone.

Vanille looked around and sighed. _This shouldn't be too hard, _she thought to herself. She walked throughout the store, trying to familiarize herself with it. There were clothes for men and women, as well as kids. Everything looked casual and comfortable, and there was a section for more formal clothes. It looked like this store had it all.

The bell dinged, letting Vanille know someone had walked in. She whisked herself behind the counter. "Welcome to Bodhum Apparel!"

The patron was a young man, probably about the same age as Vanille. He had dirty blonde hair that hung past his shoulders, with hazel eyes and a piercing in one ear. He was kind of cute, in a bad-boy sort of way.

He was working his way through the men's aisle, but he didn't seem to be really looking at them. Rather, he seemed to be watching Vanille from the corner of his eye. She wasn't paying attention, rather, she was looking over the employee handbook Rygdea had given her.

"Hey."

Vanille looked up to find the young man practically in her face. She backed up slightly, a little uncomfortable. She smiled sweetly. "Do you need help finding something?"

"Yeah, I actually do."

"Oh? What is it? I'm sure I can help you find anything you need."

He grinned. "Great. So then, you can help me find your number?"

She blinked, shocked. "What?"

He leaned closer. "I said, you can help me find your number."

She chuckled, embarassed. "Uhm, I'm sorry. I don't think so."

He scowled. "Are you kidding? What do you mean, you don't think so? You'd better give me your number."

She shook her head and spoke more forcefully. "No. I am not giving you my number."

"Why not? With the way you're dressing, you're just asking for it."

She frowned, angry. "I dress the way I do because it's comfortable for me. I'm not 'asking' for anything. You're just too ignorant to realize that; by assuming that a girl dresses like this for you to come in and be completely inappropriate proves my point. If there's nothing I can help you with, please leave."

He slammed his hand down on the counter. "Fine." He turned around, calling back over his shoulder. "You'll pay for that, you slut."

She shook her head, not allowing the insult to affect her. People could be so stupid!

The bell dinged again, and Vanille snapped. "I already told you, I'm not giving you my number. Now go away!"

"Are you sure?" A slightly husky female voice reached her ears, and Vanille jerked out of her reverie to spot a familiar head of pink hair and electric blue eyes.

"Li-Lightning!" she managed to get out.

"Vanille. Since when do you work here?"

"I just started today." Vanille could hardly believe her luck. Of all the people to walk through the door, it was Lightning.

She nodded. "What was all that about not giving me your number?"

Vanille laughed. "Oh, just some boy who came in earlier. He was being inappropriate, but it's okay. I'm fine."

A flash of anger lighted on the soldier's face, unnoticed by Vanille. "A boy? What did he look like?"

"He had blonde hair and hazel eyes, with a piercing. He was wearing a lot of black," Vanille answered.

"Alright, I'll keep an eye on him," Lightning said, a little too quickly. This time, Vanille noticed.

"Why?" she asked, curious.

"Be-because I'm in the Guardian Corps. It's my job to keep the peace." Lightning couldn't believe herself. She didn't stutter!

"Oh, right." Vanille looked slightly crestfallen, and Lightning smiled to herself. She had a feeling she knew exactly why.

"So, do you need help finding anything?" Vanille was quick to change the subject.

"No, I think I can find what I need on my own. Thanks anyway." Lightning meandered through the aisles, not really sure why she was there.

Actually, she knew exactly why she was there. She'd ran into Fang on the way into town, and the raven-haired woman had informed her of Vanille's new occupation. Before she knew it, she was walking right into the store.

She picked out a pair of white shorts, not that she needed them. She just needed to have a reason to justify why she was in there, besides the truth. She _wanted_ to see Vanille, but she'd never tell the redhead that. Lightning wasn't exactly sure herself why she wanted to see Vanille; something about the way her face lit up when she laughed, or how her green eyes sparkled when she smiled…

Lightning shook her head. Why was she thinking about this?

"Here you go!" Vanille handed her a bag that contained the shorts. "Have a good day!"

"Yeah," she mumbled. "See you later." She left the store.

Vanille could've screamed in excitement, but she contained herself. She was at work, she needed to be professional.

* * *

"Bye Rygdea!" She waved at her boss as he left with his boyfriend, Cid.

"Bye, Vanille. Thanks for locking up!"

She had volunteered to do so to allow the man to go on a date with Cid. _They make a cute couple, _she thought.

She re-checked the clothes, making sure they were folded correctly, and checked the cash register, locking it. She turned off the lights and locked the door behind her, eager to get home and tell Fang all about her day.

It was already dark out as she started the walk home. She was in jovial spirits, nothing could break her mood.

"Hey."

She stopped at the sound of a male voice coming from the shadows. The voice was soon followed by the young man from before, and this time he wasn't alone; he was flanked by three other boys.

She was scared, but she didn't show it. "You again. I already told you, I'm not giving you anything."

He smirked. "Oh, I remember. I don't want you to give me anything." Vanille looked at him, confusion spread across her face. He suddenly shoved her to the floor. "I'm gonna take it from you!" He lifted a hand and slapped her full across the face.

She looked up at him, tears brimming, but she refused to let them fall.

He raised his hand again, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the slap that never came.

"I would re-think what you're about to do very carefully." A cold voice floated through the air, and Vanille opened her eyes to see Lightning standing in front of her protectively, the wrist of her attacker held tightly in her fist.

"Argh! You're gonna break my wrist!" the young man cried.

"Maybe that'll teach you a lesson." Lightning snarled, but she let him go. "Get out of here, and don't come back."

He scowled at her. "Fat chance." He raised his fist, but Lightning was far faster. She grabbed his wrist again, and this time, she did break it, the crack resounding through the street. The boy fell to the ground, cradling his wrist.

The other boys surrounded her and attacked at once, thinking to take Lightning down by sheer force. She dodged and weaved, all of their swings hitting nothing but air. She grabbed one boy's wrist and flipped him onto the ground and swung out her leg to hit another in the back of the knee, crumpling him. The last swung at her again, but she ducked and let a fist loose into his sternum, followed by an elbow to the nose. Blood flew everywhere, and he stumbled backward, cursing loudly. She went to attack again, but a voice stopped her.

"Lightning, please." Vanille pleaded. "No more."

Lightning looked down at the redhead and sighed. "Alright. No more." She turned back to the attackers. "Leave. Now."

They picked themselves up and hobbled off. Lightning helped the redhead up. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." Vanille went to walk away, but Lightning stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

"…I'll walk you."

Vanille smiled. "Okay."

* * *

They had walked in silence for a half hour. It was a comfortable silence. Vanille broke it.

"So, what were you still doing around?"

Lightning looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Vanille laughed. "I mean, you left hours ago. Yet, there you where, right when I needed you to be there. Why? Didn't you go home?"

Lightning looked down. "…No. I didn't."

Vanille smiled. "Why not?"

"…I was worried."

"About?" Vanille asked innocently.

"…You."

"I'm sorry?" Vanille was enjoying herself.

Lightning sighed. "I was worried about you, Vanille. That's why I didn't go home. I was worried about you."

Vanille laughed loudly. "I'm flattered."

This incited a small chuckle from Lightning, which made Vanille laugh even louder. After she gathered her wits about her, she looked up to see that she was in front of her house. She turned to Lightning, who looked slightly awkward, unsure of what to do next. So, Vanille decided for her. She threw her arms around the soldier, the smell of strawberries filling her nose.

Lightning was completely shocked. Slowly, her arms rose to gather at Vanille's back.

All too soon, the moment passed, and Vanille was backing away. She looked up at Lightning and smiled softly. "Thank you for saving me, Lightning. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up, but I'm happy you did."

"No problem." Lightning was still in a state of shock.

"Good night!" Vanille skipped off to her front door and disappeared inside, but not before giving the soldier one last wave.

"…Good night." Lightning said softly. She walked to her own door and went inside, the hug still fresh in her mind.

Vanille...she had smelled like vanilla. Lightning had a weak spot for vanilla.

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it. This chapter was far longer than the other two, so hopefully that's okay. It is now 10:05 and I am signing off. Nighty night!**

**-DeanneYunFarron**

**P.S. I know I was super corny with the scents of Vanille and Lightning, but I like it. It's basic, but nice. Yeah, that's all.**


	4. Broken Hearts

**Author's Note: Heya, guys. Just a quick little thing, thanks a ton for the reviews. I appreciate it to the nth degree. To those who I cannot PM, look below….NOW.**

**TheNomade5: Thank you for your 'hot dame' and enjoyment of that fine little chapter. I loved writing it. Hope you love the update just as much.**

**Here we go!**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Broken Hearts**

* * *

As soon as Vanille walked through the front door, the lights snapped on, and there stood Fang, wearing her blue sleep clothes and a fierce scowl.

"Where. The. Hell. Where. You?" she growled lowly.

Vanille sheepishly smiled. "I was…out."

Fang's scowl stretched even further. "Out? You come home at some ungodly hour, _again_, and all you have to say for yourself was that you were 'out?'"

"Well, I was with Lightning. For part of it."

Fang's scowl faded to be quickly replaced with a look of pure confusion. "With Lightning? What were you doing with her?"

Vanille sat Fang down and got her a mug of tea. She thoroughly explained the recent events to her sister, hoping that she would eventually understand her absence.

At the end of the story, Fang put the empty mug down and sighed. "So, you're sayin' you got jumped by four boys, and Lightnin' was there to save you?"

"Yup!" Vanille answered cheerily.

Fang rubbed her face. "Well, that was awful kind of her. I'll have to be sure to thank her personally tomorrow. Or, later on today, I guess."

Vanille hesitated. "Wait, you're not mad?"

"I was, but I'm just glad you're okay. That's what's most important. And 'sides, you are an adult, so I shouldn't be so mad when you're not home. Just, next time, try to give me a call or something? Okay?"

"Of course." Vanille stretched and yawned, suddenly exhausted. "I think I'm gonna go to bed. Night." She got up from the couch and trodded to her room, closing the door softly behind her.

Fang sat there for a little while longer, mulling over what Vanille told her. Then, she got up as well and headed for her own bedroom.

* * *

_Knock, knock!_

Lightning reached the door and opened it, revealing Fang behind it. "Fang?"

"Heya, mind if I come in?" Without waiting for an answer, the older woman stepped over the threshold.

"Not at all," Lightning said to herself as she closed the door.

Fang looked around her as she headed for the couch. "You ever heard of paint, Lightnin'?" All of the walls were a plain white, and there wasn't much furniture to speak of. The room had a very Spartan feel to it.

Lightning ignored the sarcastic question. "What do you want, Fang?"

"Just wanted to say thanks for savin' Vanille last night. I really appreciate it," Fang said.

"No worries."

"That's just it, though. I am worried. And from what I heard from Van, you were too. So, what's the deal? You barely met her a few days ago, yet here you are, being her savior. Why?" Fang said a little forcefully.

"It's my job. As part of the Guardian Corps. I protect civilians, that's it," Lightning said quickly.

Fang's eyes narrowed. "That's it? Only part of the job? There were no, say, _personal_ feelings behind it?"

"No. I…I don't feel anything for Vanille. I'm sorry if I came across that way." _What the hell am I saying? _Lightning thought. She _did_ feel something for the redhead, something she had never felt before. Yet, here she stood, telling Fang there was nothing. Why was she lying to Fang? More importantly, why was she lying to herself?

Fang nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied. "Good. Because you don't deserve her anyway."

"What?" Lightning snapped.

"Van is the sweetest girl I've ever known. She needs someone who will always be there for her, to catch her when she falls. Someone who's honest, not someone who tries to lie to others, and to themselves. She needs someone who will love her unconditionally, and never falter in that."

Lightning simply crossed her arms and turned away. "Get out of my house."

Fang scoffed. "Gladly. And until you come to your senses, stay away from Vanille. Far away."

"Gladly." The door swished open and Fang was gone.

Lightning just stood there, disbelief evident in her face. What the hell was wrong with her? Just yesterday, she had admitted to herself that she did feel something for Vanille. Yet, when confronted with it, she denied it completely. Why?

Maybe it was the fact that all this was new to her? Maybe she really didn't want to admit that she felt something after all? Or maybe…maybe she didn't like the feeling of weakness she got around Vanille. She hated vulnerability, and that's all she felt when she was near the redhead.

Emotions were such a pain in the ass, which is why Lightning had never allowed them to surface. But, when she was around Vanille, she let her guard down.

Lightning steeled herself. She wouldn't let it happen again.

* * *

Fang closed the door behind her and let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She had been a little harsh, sure, especially since Lightning had saved Vanille's life, but she needed Lightning to admit that she had feelings for her sister. And if Lightning was too weak or scared or embarrassed to do so, then that was fine by her. Vanille didn't need someone like that.

"Fang? What happened?" Said redhead appeared from the kitchen, a worried look on her face.

"I went to see Lightning, to thank her for last night."

Vanille's face brightened. "And? What did she say? Did she say anything about me?"

Fang frowned. "Well, yeah, but…" How was she gonna tell her?

"But what? Fang, what happened? Please tell me," Vanille asked softly.

"She said…she said she didn't have any feelin's for you. And that she was sorry if she came across that way." Fang studied her sister's face, waiting for a reaction. At first, there was none. But, ever so slowly, a single tear slipped from Vanille's eye and ran down her cheek.

"She said that?" Vanille whispered.

"Van, I'm so sorry." Fang gathered her sister into a tight hug, feeling the wracking sobs that threatened to overwhelm her.

Vanille suddenly straightened up after about a minute, wiping her eyes. "I have to go to work," she said in an emotionless voice.

"Wait, Vanille…" The door had already slammed shut.

"Guess I'll go to work too," Fang said to no one in particular.

* * *

The work day passed uneventfully for Fang. She simply served up drinks and anything else Lebreau needed her to do. It wasn't until about seven o'clock that something interesting happened.

Lightning walked through the door of the bar, taking her usual seat at the bar counter. "The usual, Lebreau."

"Lebreau's out for the moment, but I'll be happy to serve you anythin' in her stead." The accented voice reached the soldier's ears and she looked up to find Fang behind the bar, cleaning a glass.

"Fang…what a pleasant surprise," she said darkly.

"I'm not here to argue, Lightnin'. I'm at work, so I need to be professional. But, if this does need to turn physical, I'd be happy to oblige after work." She glared at the soldier as she said it.

"No, I'd hate to see you get hurt," Lightning said dryly.

Fang snorted. "Because I'm the one who's gonna get hurt."

"Cut the crap already. I came for a drink, and that's all," Lightning snapped.

Fang raised her eyebrows. "But of course. What'll it be?"

"I want a shot of vodka."

"Are you sure you can handle that?"

"It's not your job to worry. Just give me the damn drink."

"Alright." Fang reached below the counter and pulled out the bottle, along with a small shot glass. She poured the liquor in and pushed it toward Lightning. "Bottom's up."

Lightning downed it in one gulp, slamming the glass back on the counter. "Hit me again."

Fang obliged, and Lightning tossed it back. "Another one." She drank one more, and then another, and another, and another. Her vision was starting to blur, albeit slightly. She'd always had a high tolerance for alcohol.

"Pour me another."

"You've already had six, Lightnin'. I think that's enough."

"Again, it's not your job to question, just serve the drinks." Lightning snarled.

Fang shook her head, but poured another shot, shoving it toward Lightning. "Enjoy."

Lightning raised the glass in acknowledgement, then tossed it back. "I'm not done."

This continued on for a while longer, with Lightning polishing off the bottle and Fang having to open another. Lightning had just finished another shot, when Fang took the glass from her. "That's enough, Lightnin'."

Lightning opened her mouth to retort, but Fang shot her down. "Seein' as I work here, I have the right to refuse you service, as well as kick you out. Go home, Lightnin'. Sleep it off. Trust me, you're gonna need it."

"You can't kick me out!" Lightning slurred loudly.

Fang got right into her face. "Yes I can, and I am. Leave, or I'll make you leave."

Lightning stood up shakily and scowled. "Whatever. I'm going home." She managed to find the door and left. She didn't realize that she'd left her keys on the counter. Fang picked them up and pocketed them, intending to return them tomorrow, once the soldier was feeling better.

* * *

Lightning swayed back and forth. She knew she wasn't going to drive; she was still sober enough to not be that stupid. However, just walking proved to be a worthy challenge. Her sense of direction was completely shot, and it didn't help that she had a monster of a headache.

As she struggled to head in the proper direction, her thoughts wandered elsewhere, particularly to a certain redhead. She could only assume that Fang had told Vanille what she had said, so she imagined the rehead would not be willing to talk to her.

In all honesty, she didn't even know what she would say, how could she explain what she felt? After all, she'd completely rejected Vanille, and she was sure that the redhead was hurting.

The only thing she could hope for was that the passing of time would allow the wounds to heal. Then, she would explain. She would tell Vanille how the younger woman made her feel so vulnerable, and how she wasn't comfortable with that. She knew the redhead would understand, in time. Or at least she hoped.

Lightning eventually found her way home and struggled to make her way up the driveway.

"Why did I drink so much?" she slurred to herself. She had never allowed herself to become so intoxicated before.

Unfortunately, the soldier was unable to conquer the driveway and crashed to the concrete, unconscious.

* * *

**A/N: And the next chapter is completed. A little sad, yes, but every story's gotta have its drama, am I right? Yes? Okay. I don't have that much experience with alcohol, but I have been around severely drunk people and I feel I got Lightning's experience down pretty well. If not, I'm sorry. I did my best. I don't know when the next update will be, so stay tuned! Peace out.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	5. A Promise

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back, again. My computer was shut down because my dumb friends used it against my wishes when I told them not to, so yeah. For those who left unsigned reviews, or I can't PM you, look down. If you dare.**

**kirika: Yes, Lightning saving Vanille was cliché, but I couldn't help it. And she will definitely get back on the good track, don't you worry. And also don't worry about your English, it is just fine. Hope you enjoy the update.**

**TheNomade5: Funny you should mention the drunk Lightning/Vanille interaction, because this chapter takes place literally like an hour after Lightning blacked out. So, stay tuned.**

**Dark Bunneh: I think your word is FANTABULICIOUS! Creating words is something I absolutely adore to do, so no worries. It is all dandyfab! Hope you love the update!**

**And, heeeeeeeeeeere we goooooooooo!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: A Promise**

* * *

Vanille locked up the store with her keys and started down the sidewalk. Her footsteps were heavy, as was her heart.

She didn't know why Lightning's rejection was so hurtful. She'd known the woman for barely a week, and she didn't even really know her. Yet, what Fang had told her cut deep.

What should she care if Lightning hadn't felt anything for her? In fact, she shouldn't be hurting. She should be furious! She knew that they had had a connection, a mutual attraction. She wasn't stupid! If Lightning wasn't woman enough to admit that there was something there, then she was going to make her admit it!

Vanille charged down the road, a fire in her stride and in her heart.

When Vanille reached her house, she was not expecting to see a head of pink hair splayed out in the empty driveway next door, along with the body.

Vanille ran up the driveway and kneeled next to her. "Lightning? Lightning?" Vanille leaned closer to check if Lightning was breathing. The soldier's warm breath on her ear slightly tickled, and a shiver went up the redhead's spine. She shook her head quickly; there was no time for this.

Lightning was breathing; her breath also smelled like alcohol, so Vanille could only guess Lightning had drank herself into a deep sleep. She wasn't going to wake up anytime soon.

Vanille searched around for the keys to Lightning's house, to no avail. So, she hoisted the soldier up, placing one arm around her waist and taking one of her arms and throwing it over her own shoulder. The soldier, surprisingly, wasn't very heavy.

Vanille began walking to her own house, trying to ignore the fact that it was Lightning's head resting against her shoulder, her warm breath tickling her neck.

The soldier began murmuring something incoherent. Vanille leaned in slightly to try to understand, and one word floated into her ear and stayed there.

"…Vanille…"

* * *

A shaft of sunlight peeked its shy face through the slightly parted curtain, illuminating the pink-haired woman spread out on the bed.

Lightning's eyes struggled open, than snapped shut, the dim light hurting her brain.

She groaned loudly, than smartly took a look around, realizing almost immediately that she wasn't in her own house. The room she was in was a soft shade of orange, like a setting sun. It made her feel almost…happy.

She slowly rose, each inch she moved shooting waves of pain to rattle around in her skull like tiny hammers. She finally reached the door and opened it slowly, emerging into an unfamiliar hallway. The walls were a beige color and the floor had a jade green carpet.

"Lightning?" Lightning turned at the sound of her name and found Vanille staring at her intently. Her eyes roved downward before she could stop them, taking in Vanille's white tanktop and yellow chocobo shorts. She looked so adorable…

"Lightning, is something wrong?" Lightning was shaken from her reverie and looked at the redhead, a new wave of exhaustion hitting her full in the face.

"How did I get here?" Lightning ignored the question altogether.

"I carried you here last night after I found you passed out on your driveway," Vanille answered simply.

Lightning's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome."

An awkward silence passed between them for a few moments, before Vanille decided to speak up.

"Fang told me what you said," Vanille said.

Lightning looked down. "She did, huh?"

"Why?"

Lightning looked up. "What?" She noticed the redhead had tears forming in her eyes.

"Why would you say that? I know you felt something, just like I did!" Vanille shouted.

Lightning grimaced; Vanille's shouting was worsening her already terrible headache. "Vanille, please stop shouting."

"What? Oh, I'm so sorry!" the redhead apologized quickly. She grabbed Lightning's hand and dragged her to the kitchen, sitting her down on a stool. Fang was already in there, sipping on a glass of milk.

"Morning, Sunshine," the older woman drawled.

Lightning put her head in her hands as a response.

"Here." Fang handed her a glass full of a blood-red liquid that smelled of tomatoes and vodka. "Trust me, you'll feel better."

Lightning picked up the glass and downed it, wincing at the strong taste.

Fang put the glass in the sink, and gave Vanille a quick kiss on the top of the head. Lightning felt a slight pang of jealously shoot through her.

"I'll let you two talk it out," Fang whispered to Vanille.

"Thank you."

Lightning watched the exchange carefully, feeling another pang of jealously. When Vanille turned to her, she stood up quickly. "I have to go."

"Wait…"

Lightning shook her head. "Now isn't a good time to talk. I'm extremely hung over and equally irritated. It wouldn't be fair to you to have to deal with that, with me."

Vanille looked down sadly. "But…"

Lightning placed a hand on her shoulder and lifted the redhead's chin to look into her eyes. "I promise, we will talk. But, later. First, I need to go home and sleep this off."

Vanille brightened and nodded. "Okay!"

Lightning turned to leave, but Vanille stopped her. She leaned up and lightly kissed Lightning on the cheek. She retreated quickly, blushing. "I hope you feel better."

Lightning just stared at her, disbelief painted all over her face. She then cleared her throat, all business. "Thank you. For everything." She turned and left, not daring to stop until she had walked through her own door.

Vanille…the redhead had a habit of getting past her walls, without even trying. The whole reason she had told Fang she didn't like Vanille was because she didn't want the younger girl seeing the softer side of her, her vulnerable side.

But, on the other hand, it felt _right_.

Lightning didn't feel like thinking about these things; her head was still throbbing horribly and all the thinking she was doing made her feel nauseous.

She would have time when she woke up. After all, she had promised Vanille they would talk. And she was sure they'd have a lot to talk about.

* * *

**A/N: There you have it. I hope you enjoyed. It may feel like their relationship ups and downs are being rushed, but I just want to get the initial relationship over with so I can start the next portion of the story, which will be more action-y and Serah-filled. Also, some other Final Fantasy characters will be making appearances. So yeah, peace out.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**

**P.S. Yes, the chapter was rather short. Don't flame me.**


	6. Friends

**Author's Note: He****y guys. Sorry for being away for so long. Life hasn't been super kind to me, but I'm getting back on my feet. 'Sides, I'm graduating in like a month, prom is a week and a half away, shortly followed by Grad Night. So yeah, I will be just dandy. Anyhow, to those who left unsigned reviews, or I can't PM you, look down. Right about….now.**

**TheNomade5: Thank you for the review. I'm glad you liked the chapter. Hopefully, you'll like this one just as much.**

**Figu: I apologize for your Lanille withdrawal, twas not my intent! Anyhow, hopefully this chapter will satiate your need for Lanille. :D**

**Lightxvanille23: Thanks for the review. Here is the new chapter. Hope you like!**

**Fflover127: Here is the update. Take it quickly, so you can turn that frowny face upside-down! Like this: .**

**Here we go!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Friends**

* * *

Lightning walked through the doors of the Guardian Corps headquarters. Every other officer immediately stood at attention, but Lightning waved them to ease, nodding greetings as she passed them.

"Lightning!" A blonde-haired young man threw an arm over her shoulder and grinned at her.

She looked at him impassively. "Tidus."

"How've you been?" Tidus smartly removed his arm, still grinning.

"Great. I love being sent home like a child who did something wrong."

Tidus got uncharacteristically serious for a moment. "Light, Amodar was right. You were working to hard. Everyone needs a break!"

Light rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"Tidus, are you bothering Light?" A young brunette woman approached them, lightly smacking Tidus on the arm.

Tidus sheepishly grinned. "Yuna…"

Lightning smiled. "It's alright, Yuna."

Yuna shook her head. "Honestly, both of you…" She then brightened. "Are you going to see Amodar?"

"Yes, I am."

"When you're done with that, you should go see Cloud in the armory. He says he has something for you. Oh, and Zack also asked to see you. Let's see, anyone else? Nope, I think that's it. Bye!" Yuna dragged Tidus away from the pinkette, the blonde complaining loudly.

Lightning sighed. They could be slightly exasperating at times, but they were her friends. Not many people had the privelege of saying that.

* * *

"General, glad to see you're back! And looking healthier than when you left!" Amodar let out a hearty laugh.

Lightning'e eye twitched slightly, but she willed it to stop. This was just how Amodar was. "Thank you, sir. Anything else?"

Amodar looked at her with humor in his eyes. "No, General, that'll be all. Go see Cloud in the armory, than see Commander Fair. He wishes to speak with you."

Lightning nodded curtly and strode off toward the armory.

Cloud looked up as Lightning entered, his gravity-defying blonde locks greasy with oil. "Hey, Light."

"Cloud. Yuna and Amodar said you wanted to see me?"

Cloud furrowed his brow, than nodded. "Right. I have your gunblade; fixed it up good as new, like you asked." He went behind the counter and reached underneath, producing Lightning's Blazefire Saber, gleaming with a recent polish.

Lightning took it gently and nodded her thanks. "I appreciate it."

Cloud smiled softly. "What are friends for?"

Lightning thanked him again and left, headed for the top floor, where the Commander of the Guardian Corps had his office.

* * *

Lightning knocked lightly on the door, hearing voices from within the office.

"Come in."

Light opened the door, revealing Commander Fair and Rinoa.

"Hey, Light," Rinoa greeted. Lightning nodded in return.

"Rinoa, could you give us a moment?" Zack asked the black-haired young woman.

Rinoa nodded and smiled. "Of course. I'll get back to the infirmary, Aerith is probably wondering where I am."

"Tell her I said to take a break every once in a while, would ya?" Zack said as Rinoa opened the door.

"Will do." The door closed softly behind her.

"Have a seat, Light." Zack indicated one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"I'll stand." Zack didn't take offense; the general was often like that.

"What is it you wanted to see me about, Commander?"

Zack sighed inwardly. He had insisted that Lightning call him by his first name, but she never did.

"Just wanted to see how you were doing, is all. I know Amodar sent you home a few days ago, with good reason. Have you thought about not working so hard all the time? It's not healthy."

"It helps," Lightning said simply.

Zack nodded slowly, understanding. "Well, I get that. But burying yourself in work isn't going to make it go away. I know that, and so do you."

Lightning nodded. "I know."

Zack leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands behind his head. "Now, to the real reason why you're here. You know that our relations with Gran Pulse have been…complicated."

"Right."

"Well, as of recently, they've been getting bolder. Vayne attacked another settlement down there recently, and took it for his own army."

"I don't understand, sir. Why don't the Pulsians fight back?" Lightning asked.

"Don't you see? Vayne and his army were their defenders. Now that he's gone rogue, and practically declared an all-out war on Cocoon, the people don't really have anyone. Sure, there were a few village guards, but they were mostly untrained civilians."

"So, why don't we help them? I mean, we've got more than enough troops to spare, right?"

Zack shook his head. "We have. We've sent countless platoons out to help, but there are simply too many overtaken villages. We need to have enough soldiers to protect us in case Vayne decides to attack us next."

Lightning started to pace, thinking. "Well, are the other Corps in the know-how?"

"Yes. Palumpolum, Eden, and Nautilus are all on board. Actually, their commanders and top generals will be paying us a visit next week, so be prepared."

Lightning nodded. "What for?"

"To discuss our next move. You know Vayne has a tendency to create l'Cie to fight his battles. We recently discovered a camp that holds them, and we plan on liberating it. See if we can't recruit them to our cause, to fight back."

"And if we can't?"

Zack remained silent, and Lightning immediately understood.

"You're dismissed, Lightning. Why don't you go down to the cafeteria? I do believe it's time for lunch."

Lightning saluted. "Sir."

* * *

"Hey, Light! Over here!" Tidus waved his hand at the pink-haired soldier. She walked to their table and sat down, nodding greetings all around the table.

"So, Light, what did Zack want?" Cloud asked quietly, per his nature.

Lightning shrugged. "Just to let me know that there's a meeting next week with the commanders and top generals of the Corps in Eden, Palumpolum, and Nautilus."

Tidus frowned. "That means I have to go, huh?"

"Yeah, you do. Stop complaining." The silver-haired woman across him reprimanded him.

"Ah, whatever, Paine." Tidus waved her response away.

Lightning sighed. Those two were always butting heads, yet still were close friends. They all were, and Lightning would have it no other way.

After lunch, Lightning retired to her office to finish a mound of paperwork that had built up from her three-day vacation. It was tough, but she was able to tackle the pile by sundown. After saying her goodbyes, she headed home.

As she entered her home, she suddenly remembered something. Her talk with Vanille that she had promised had yet to happen. She picked up the phone and was about to dial, then she remembered they lived next door. She could simply walk.

She crossed the sidewalk and knocked on their door. A few seconds passed, then the door opened to reveal Fang.

"Lightning. Need something?"

"I need to see Vanille. Do you know where she's at?"

"At work still. She doesn't get off for another couple of hours."

Lightning sighed. "Right. Well, when she gets home, can you tell her to come see me, please?"

Fang nodded. "Sure."

"Thank you." Lightning walked back across the sidewalk and returned to her home. She had a few hours to kill before Vanille would be there. Maybe she should cook dinner for the two of them…

* * *

Vanille unlocked her front door. "Fang, I'm home!"

Fang was reclining on the couch, watching TV. "Hey, Van. Lightning asked that you go over as soon as you get home."

Vanille stopped. "Lightning? Right now?"

"Yeah…" Fang looked back just in time to see Vanille's backside disappear out the front door. She shook her head and smiled. Her sister was hopeless.

Vanille sprinted to Lightning's front door and took a deep breath. She released it slowly and knocked twice. A few seconds passed with no response. She knocked again and waited. No response. Maybe she wasn't home? No, her motorcycle was parked in the driveway…

Vanille tried again to no avail. She put her hand on the doorknob, and turned it, surprised when the door swished open.

The first thing she noted was the thick smoke that filled the room and her nostrils.

"Lightning?" she coughed. "Lightning!"

She looked toward the source of the smoke and went into the kitchen. It was the oven. She immediately turned it off and opened the windows in the kitchen. She fanned out the oven and removed the pan of burnt meat, putting in the sink.

"Lightning!" Where was she?

She went into the living room and looked around, finally locating the pink-haired woman on the couch. She was sound asleep, her pink locks rising and falling across her face with each breath. Vanille resisted the urge to sweep the hair away, instead settling for shaking her on the shoulders.

"Lightning?"

Lightning muttered and swatted Vanille's hand away. Vanille tried again, a little more forcefully. "Lightning!"

Lightning's eyes snapped open and she bowled over Vanille, who landed on the floor with an "Oomph!"

Lightning shook her head and took in her surroundings, noticing the redhead on the floor. "Vanille, what are you doing on my floor?"

Vanille sat up and rubbed her head, frowning slightly at the older woman. "You knocked me over!"

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Did I? I'm sorry."

Vanille stood and shook her head. "It's alright, I guess. Considering you almost burned down your house."

"What?" Lightning then remembered why Vanille was supposed to be there. "I fell asleep? Argh, I had the oven going to make us dinner!"

Vanille blushed slightly. "Dinner? For us?"

Lightning smiled hesitatingly. "Yeah. You know, for our 'talk.'" She frowned. "But now it's ruined. I'm sorry, Vanille. I wanted to do this right."

Vanille smiled brightly. "I know. How about tomorrow, I come over for breakfast? Except, I'll cook. Or, better yet, you come over to my house. I'll make sure Fang isn't there."

"Are you sure? We could just do it now." Lightning tried.

"No, no. Like you said, you wanted to do this right. Well, so do I." Vanille took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Tomorrow at eight. Don't be late!" With that, she skipped out the door.

Lightning nodded to herself. Eight, huh? She was not going to be late.

She turned toward the kitchen and scowled. She couldn't believe she'd fallen asleep with the oven going. That was one of the most important cooking rules.

Serah had taught her that.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, there ya go. New chapter is up and rarin' to go! Hope you loved! Next will hopefully be out sooner than last time! Peace.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	7. Conversations

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm back, earlier than last time. Here is the update. Hope you enjoy! But, before that, those who left unsigned reviews, or I can't PM you, look down. NOW!**

**TheNomade5: Thanks for the review! I also enjoyed the crossover, cause I think it's awesome. But whatevs. Hope you like the update! Peace.**

**Lightxvanille23: Thank you for the review. Here is the update, hope you love it. P.S. I love you too :D**

**Fflover127: And that chapter loved you. Hope you love the update!**

**Lanillelover26: I am glad I was able to be your savior. I shall play that role again with this update, yes?**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Conversations**

* * *

_Beep! Beep!_

Lightning's eyes snapped open. Her blue orbs swiveled to meet the numbers on her digital alarm clock. Good. She had set the alarm for 6:30, and it went off right on time. No funny business.

Seeing as today was her talk with Vanille, she wanted everything to go off without a hitch.

She got out of bed and made it quickly. 6:31. Lightning went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. Her hair was disheveled and messy, and her eyes were half-closed with fatigue. A shower would fix that, no problem.

She turned on the water and removed her clothes, laying them neatly over the sink. She stepped into the shower and let the hot droplets soothe her tired body.

She allowed herself to stay in the shower for a while; after leaving its comforts, she toweled herself dry and returned to her room. 7:03. Time to get dressed.

She opened her closet and stared into it. She regretted not choosing an outfit last night, but she eventually settled on a pair of dark blue jeans with a white tank-top, and her favorite pair of boots. 7:14.

She returned to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. 7:18. Now, to tackle her hair.

She looked into the mirror for a few minutes, turning this way and that. She made sure to comb it out. She finally decided to simply let it do its own thing; her spiky bangs fell over the right side of her face, while the curly part cascaded over her left shoulder. That was how she liked it, anyway.

7:30. She still had quite a few minutes to kill before she should head over. But, what to do?

She headed into the kitchen, and, realizing she was hungry, she ate a banana, accompanied with a glass of water. 7:35.

She chose to simply sit on the couch for twenty minutes, flipping channels while she waited. She glanced at the clock every few minutes. 7:39. 7:43. 7:47. 7:51. Finally, _finally, _it was 7:55. She got up and left the house, locking the door behind her.

She crossed the sidewalk to the house next door, and knocked. And waited. And waited. And waited.

After an eternity, the door swung open to reveal Vanille's cheery face. "Hey, Lightning! Right on time!"

Lightning smiled. "Hi, Vanille."

"Well, don't just stand there! Come in!" She ushered Lightning through the door, the smell of pancakes and bacon wafting into her nose. Vanille steered her to a table and sat her down. "Breakfast is almost done, so just wait a couple more minutes, 'kay?"

Lightning nodded. "Sure."

As Vanille whisked to and fro, Lightning simply watched her, smiling softly at the younger woman's antics.

"So, how did you get Fang to stay away?" she asked casually.

Vanille paused. "I asked Lebreau to make her come in early, and keep her there. Fang found out, and she was not happy."

"Why not?"

Vanille sighed dramatically. "She wasn't comfortable with us being in a house alone together. Also, because it's you…"

One of Lightning's eyebrows disappeared into her hair. Vanille noticed and giggled.

"She doesn't quite trust you yet. But, don't worry. She's like with most new people. Give her a little time, she's just being protective."

Lightning nodded slowly. "Okay…"

"Well, breakfast is ready!" Vanille placed a plate full of pancakes, bacon and eggs in front of Lightning and another was placed in front of herself. "So, how should we do this?"

"What do you mean?"

Vanille placed a forkfull of food into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "Well, you wanted to 'talk', right? So, what did you want to talk about, exactly?" Of course, the redhead already knew exactly what the soldier wanted to talk about.

Lightning's cheeks tinged with pink. "Well, I wanted to talk about…us."

Vanille smiled sweetly. "What about 'us', exactly?"

Light cleared her throat. "Where we stand."

Vanille placed her chin in her hand in mock thought. "Well, from what I remember, you told Fang that you hadn't felt anything for me, and then you went and got dead drunk, and I found you and brought you here, then you woke up, and I confronted you, and you promised a talk." She gave Light a puppy dog look.

Lightning smiled softly. "That I did." She steeled herself. "Listen, I'm new to this, okay? I'm not used to…_feeling_ things for other people. Usually I'm so buried in my work, I don't have the time. But somehow, when you showed up, everything changed."

"How so?"

"I found myself…thinking about you. A lot. And it confused me. Thinking about all this, and you, it made me feel vulnerable. And I hate that. I don't like feeling weak."

"Lightning…" Vanille didn't know what to say.

"But…I also realized that I didn't mind. I hate feeling weak, but when I thought about you, it made everything okay. I could accept it. I realize now that these feelings don't make you weak."

Vanille was silent.

Lightning took a deep breath. "I lied. I said I hadn't felt anything for you, and that was a lie. And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted the feelings to disappear, and I thought that pushing you away would accomplish that. But it didn't."

Vanille smiled. "So, what you're saying is…?"

"I…care about you, Vanille. A lot." Lightning whispered.

Vanille placed a hand over one of the soldier's. "I care about you too."

Lightning smiled, then her eyebrows furrowed. "Now what?"

Vanille looked confused. "Uh, I guess, we have a first date?"

Lightning nodded slowly. "Alright. When?"

Vanille thought for a moment. "Well, today is Thursday, so how about…next Saturday?"

"Perfect." Lightning stood to leave, than paused. "Thank you for breakfast."

Vanille stood as well. "You're quite welcome. I figured you weren't really for the cooking type, so…"

Lightning frowned. "That was more Serah's thing. I was better at cleaning."

"Serah? Who's that?"

Lightning paused. "My sister."

"You have a sister? Where is she?"

Lightning shook her head. "She left. To get married to some idiot."

"I'm so sorry. When was the last time you saw her?"

"It's been months." Vanille had never seen Lightning so sad.

"I'm sure you'll see her soon." Vanille tried.

"Yeah…" Lightning smiled sadly. "I should go."

Vanille nodded. "Sure…I'll see you soon, okay?"

Lightning placed a soft kiss on Vanille's forehead. "Of course."

* * *

The day had come for the meeting with the other commanders and top generals. Lightning wasn't particularly happy about it, but even she could admit, they needed the extra help. They couldn't win this war on their own.

"Heya, Light!" Tidus came bounding down the corridor and slung an arm over Lightning's shoulder.

"Tidus. How are you?"

Tidus removed his arm and looked at the soldier, confused. Lightning noticed. "What?"

"I don't know. Just, usually you get mad when I do this."

Lightning shrugged. "Doesn't really bother me much anymore."

Tidus grinned. "Really…"

Lightning glared at him. "Don't push it."

Tidus smiled sheepishly. "Just kidding. So, where are the rest of us generals?"

"Right here." Paine walked up, along with Cloud, to join them.

"So, ready to get started?" Cloud asked quietly.

"Yup!" Tidus led the way into the meeting room.

"Heya, guys. You're just in time. Take a seat." Zack greeted them. His generals all took a seat, save for Lightning.

Zack looked at his watch. "The others should be getting here right about now."

The door swished open and six people walked in. Lightning observed them as they walked in. She recognized them all, except for two.

There was Cid Raines, commander of Eden, with his general, Jihl Nabaat; Yaag Rosch, commander of Palumpolum, and his general was a young boy with silver hair; and finally, the commander of Nautilus, a dark-haired man with an afro, and his general was the idiot her sister had ran off with.

Snow.

"Hey, Light. How've ya been?" Snow scratched his head nervously.

Lightning gave him the iciest glare she could muster. "How do you think?" she growled.

"Uh…"

Zack gave her a warning look. "Light, not here."

"Sorry, sir."

"So, Zack, how is this gonna work?" the commander of Nautilus asked.

"Well, Sazh, you're all here so we can talk about our next move. We recently discovered a l'Cie holding camp, as you know. And you all also know that Vayne will have a lot of security on it. So, we're gonna need help from some of your soldiers to liberate it. Are you in?"

All three commanders nodded.

Raines spoke up. "Do we return to our respective cities?"

Zack nodded. "For now, yes. Now, Sazh, seeing as your headquarters is the biggest, it would be appropriate for Nautilus to house all of us."

Sazh nodded. "Of course. When?"

"A couple of weeks. We need more intel on the camp before we can storm it. Alright?"

"Alright." was the collective response.

"We can house you for the night, and return you tomorrow. Thank you for your time."

The others rose to leave, and Snow approached Lightning. "Hey, Light…"

Lightning turned away. "Don't talk to me." She went to leave, but Snow placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, please."

Lightning shrugged off his beefy appendage and stormed out the door, almost slamming into somebody waiting right outside. She looked at the person and gasped.

"Serah?"

* * *

**A/N: So, there ya go! Hope you liked! Peace.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	8. Sisters

**Author's Note: Hey, dudes and dudettes! Yeah, I know. It's been a while. I'm sorry, I try! And I shall try hard in subsequent days, yeah? Anyhow, like if you left unsigned reviews, or I can't, like, PM you, you should take the 101 to the 405, then get off on Grant Ave, than make a left onto Worchester and take it to Sunburst, then make a final right on Davis, and take it ALL THE WAY DOWN to the next line.**

**TheNomade5: Yes, cliffhangers are a dandy thing, are they not? Thanks for the review, and here is the update.**

**Omg24: Ah, yes. You did spell cliffhanger correctly :D. I know the update wasn't exactly quick, but here it is anyhow.**

**Lanillelover26: And you so are just so kind I could die! Thanks for the review, and here is the update. Enjoy.**

**Yeah, the fake directions up above was because I was watching Saturday Night Live, and it was this sketch called The Californians, where they basically make fun of Cali surfer accents and our many highways, freeways, streets and overall directions. It makes is funnier cause I'm a Cali girl, but anyhow, I was inspired.**

**Yeah, you know the drill.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Sisters**

* * *

Lightning was speechless. Here, right in front of her, was the sister she'd been desperately missing for months. She didn't know what to say, so she simply stood there, dumbstruck.

Serah frowned. "Claire? Claire, are you alright?"

Lightning shook her head slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

Serah smiled. "Good."

"What are you doing here, Serah?"

Her smile faltered slightly. "Well, Snow mentioned he was coming to Bodhum for a meeting, so I decided to tag along."

"Why?"

Serah groaned dramatically. "Really, Claire? I came to see my big sister, what else?"

Lightning's eyes widened. "Oh."

Serah rolled her eyes and smiled. "Come on, Claire. We're going out!" She grabbed Light's hand and dragged her toward the elevator. "See you later, Snow!"

Lightning simply blinked multiple times as her sister towed her away. After leaving the GC Headquarters, she was dragged into town, then into several different stores.

"Claire, what's wrong?" Lightning snapped out of her reverie and stared at her sister.

"What?"

Serah shook her head. "You've been kind of distant. Like you're not all there."

Lightning pinched her nose. She was suddenly very aware. "Well, try being me and having a sister who suddenly shows up out of nowhere after months. No calls, no letters, no nothing."

Serah looked guilty. "I didn't mean to not contact you, Claire. It was just…"

"Just what?" Lightning cut her off. "You were too busy with your new married life? Too busy to remember the sister who sacrificed everything for you?"

"Claire…"

Lightning turned away. "Forget it. You should go home. With your husband."

Serah reached out to lay a hand on her sister's shoulder, but Lightning shrugged her off. "Go."

Serah's eyes filled with tears that refused to fall. "Claire?"

Lightning turned back to her and gave Serah the iciest glare she could muster. "Now."

Serah's tears did fall then. She whisked around and ran back toward the GC Headquarters, no doubt to collapse into the arms of her dear husband.

Lightning pinched her nose again. She couldn't believe she just did that. She began the trek home, suddenly exhausted. As she walked, several thoughts bounced around in her skull.

_Why did you do that?_

_She deserved it! After everything she did, she's lucky I even spoke to her!_

_But…she did come back to see you. She even left Snow to go out with you, alone._

_But she left! Without a single look back!_

_She invited you to the wedding. You were the one who showed up and made it worse for yourself._

She groaned loudly. As much as she wanted to be angry, she never could. Serah was her sister and she loved her, unconditionally. Nothing could ever cause her to be mad for long. Nothing.

* * *

Fang stretched and yawned loudly. The bar had been rather dead today; although it was still morning, usually the place was packed. She didn't know why it wasn't. All she did know was that she was bored out of her mind; she just wanted to go home and sleep. She'd been working since two in the morning; one of the drawbacks of a twenty-four hour bar.

"Hey, Fang." Yuj came up behind her.

"Yuj," she responded.

The blue-haired teen chuckled. "You look bored out of your mind."

"That obvious?" she asked sarcastically.

He nodded, and she rolled her eyes. "When do you get off?" he asked her.

She looked at the clock on the wall. "I've got another hour."

"Brutal."

A few seconds later, the door swung open and in walked a familiar pink-haired soldier. "But, my day just got a whole lot more interesting," Fang muttered to herself.

Yuj raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?" His question went unanswered.

Lightning took a seat at the bar and looked up at Fang. "Would you please get me a beer?"

Fang feigned surprise. "Asking nicely now, are we?"

Lightning gave her a look. "Just get me the beer. I'm not in the mood."

"Are you ever?" But Fang did fetch her the beer, placing it on the bar in front of the younger woman.

Lightning nodded her thanks and took a swig. Fang began cleaning a dirty glass. "So, what brings you back here, Light? It's seems a bit early to be drinking, don't ya think?"

She shrugged. "I wanted a drink. I'm allowed that luxury, being an adult and all."

I hope we won't have a repeat of last time." Fang gave her a knowing look.

Light chuckled darkly. "No promises."

"You know, you still didn't answer my question."

Lightning sighed. "My sister's back in town."

Fang paused. "You have a sister?"

"Vanille didn't tell you?" Lightning sounded slightly surprised.

Fang shook her head. "When did you tell her?"

"When we had our talk." Light waited for Fang to say something, but she didn't.

A long silence passed between them, than Fang spoke up. "So, your sister's back? Is that a bad thing?"

Lightning sighed. "I'm not too sure."

"How so?"

"She got married to her idiot boyfriend, Snow. I was invited to the wedding. I went for her, but when I got there, all of the hurt and the anger boiled over, and I ended up making a huge mess of everything." She took a swig of her drink and continued. "So, they ran off to Nautilus to get married. I haven't seen her in months. Having her here, I just…I wasn't prepared, and I snapped at her." She looked up. Fang was staring at her, a thoughtful look on her face.

Lightning cleared her throat. "Sorry, I don't mean to drop my problems on you."

Fang laughed. "No worries, Light. I'm a great listener, or so I've been told." She winked at the soldier, and Light smiled, rolling her eyes.

"I'd suggest talking to her, if you want my advice. You may not, but I'm giving it to you anyway. Take her out to lunch, and just have a heart-to-heart chat with her. That's how Vanille and I deal with our issues."

Lightning nodded slowly, taking in Fang's advice. "That's actually a good idea."

"I'm chock full of them, ask anybody."

Lightning chuckled softly, and slapped down a few gil. "Thank you, Fang."

Fang nodded. "Welcome." Light stood up and headed for the door. As she opened it, Fang called out to her. "Hey, Light?" Lightning looked back. "Don't forget; you don't treat Vanille right, you'll have to answer to me." Light nodded. "You won't have to worry, Fang."

* * *

Lightning picked up the phone and stared at it. She wanted to heed Fang's advice and talk to Serah, but she couldn't will herself to dial. What if Serah said no? What if she had screwed up everything for good this time? What if there was no fixing this?

She shook her head. There was no room for doubt. She readied herself and dialed the number of the hotel she knew Snow and Serah were staying at.

The phone rang a few times, than a male voice answered. "Hello?"

Lightning sighed. "Snow?"

There was a pause. "Hey, sis."

Lightning ignored him. "May I speak to Serah?"

Another pause. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Light. She's pretty upset."

"Please, Snow." Lightning pleaded.

On the other end of the phone, Snow was torn. His wife was upset, and he didn't want to upset her further. However, he'd never heard Lightning plead before. He sighed; he really hoped he wouldn't regret this later.

"Alright, Light. I'll go get her."

"Thank you."

Snow walked to the bedroom and knocked. "Serah, honey? Someone's on the phone for you."

Serah's saddened voice drifted from behind the closed door. "I don't want to talk to anyone."

"It's important, babe."

The door slowly opened, revealing the tear-stained face of his wife. His chest tightened; he hated her being in pain.

"Who is it?" Serah asked quietly.

"It's Light."

Serah looked surprised. "Really? She wants to talk to me?"

Snow nodded. "She actually pleaded."

Serah chuckled slightly at her husband's attempt to cheer her up. She took the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Serah." Her older sister's voice sounded relieved. "How are you?"

"I've been better."

"I am so sorry, Serah. I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just…"

"I understand, Claire. You don't have to explain it to me." Serah cut her off.

"No, I do. That's why I called. Let's get lunch. We can catch up, and you can tell me all about Nautilus."

Serah smiled. "Really?"

"Really."

"Okay! When?"

"In an hour? I'll pick you up. Okay?"

"Okay, see you soon. Bye, Claire."

"Bye, Serah."

Serah hung up the phone and looked at Snow. "She invited me to lunch. She wants to catch up."

Snow grinned and hugged her tightly. "That's great news, babe." He let her go, than frowned. "Wait. Was I invited?"

Serah simply laughed in response. That was just like her husband.

* * *

**A/N: And I'm gonna cut it off right about there. Thanks for reading! Update will be out when it's out. I shan't give a time any more because I can never adhere to it. Peace!**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	9. Of Things To Come

**Author's Note: Hello, my children. I have returned…from the DEAD. Ha! Just kidding. I just haven't been on my computer in a while. As I'm sure you can remember. Anyhow, it's summer. Meaning: vacation, and, oh yeah, I GRADUATED. From high school, I know, no biggie. Except….that means I'm going to COLLEGE. I don't know why I'm telling you this, because I'm sure ALL you're interested in is the NEXT chapter of my beautiful STORY. So, here she is. ENJOY.**

**P.S. I don't know why I kept capitalizing certain words. I'm weird, I KNOW.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Of Things To Come**

* * *

Lightning pulled up to the hotel her sister and Snow were staying at. She turned off the car and got out, locking it as she walked away. She strode through the double door that led to the lobby. She approached the receptionist. "Excuse me?"

The young man looked up and smiled sweetly. "What can I do for you, miss?"

"I'm here to pick up my sister, Serah Farron. She said you'd call for her."

The young man furrowed his brows, than nodded. "Ah, yes. Ms. Farron did mention that to me. I shall ring her right now." He picked up the phone on the desk and dialed a number, placing it to his ear and waiting. After a few seconds, someone picked up, because he spoke. "Ms. Farron? Yes, this is Hoyt. I have your sister here. Yes. Okay, I will let her know." He hung up the phone and glanced back up at Lightning. "Ms. Farron will be down shortly. You may wait in one of the chairs until then. Have a nice day, Ms. Farron."

Lightning took his suggestion and sat down on a plush brown sofa chair. Instead of indulging herself in one of the many magazines littering the coffee table, she settled for simply observing her surroundings. The hotel itself was modest in architecture, nothing extremely fancy. It seemed to go for a more home-like feel than a ritzy one.

"Claire?" Lightning looked up at the sound of her name. Her sister was readily approaching…with Snow beside her. Lightning stood up and met them halfway; Snow was watching her apprehensively, while Serah had a smile plastered on her face.

A long silence passed while Lightning scrutinized them both, mostly Snow, before she spoke. "So, are you two ready to go?"

Serah nodded. "Ready when you are."

The trio left the hotel, Snow and Serah waving goodbye to Hoyt as they passed the desk. The short walk to the car passed in silence, a silence that was not broken until a few minutes into the actual car ride.

"You're not mad?" Serah asked her sister.

Lightning, eyes on the road, snorted softly. "Mad about what?"

"Oh, I don't know. About before?"

Lighting sighed. "No, I'm not. I had no right to act that way toward you. I'm sorry, Serah."

Serah placed a comforting hand on her sister's arm. "Claire, you had every right to be mad. You have nothing to apologize for."

Lightning shook her head slightly. "Yes, I do. I overreacted. Not only to our meeting, but to your wedding overall. I was the one who made everything worse. You're an adult, Serah. You can make your own choices. And if you wanted to marry this goofball-," Snow chuckled from the back seat, "-then you can. I have no right to deter your decisions, whether or not I agree with them. And I have to admit, you pick them well."

"Thanks, sis," Snow piped up.

Lightning glared at him halfheartedly, then chuckled. "You're quite welcome."

* * *

The restaurant Lightning took them to was nothing fancy, but she had been there before and was friends with the owner. The food was excellent and the employees treated their customers like family.

The hostess looked up as the trio walked in. "Light! How are you?"

Lightning smiled warmly. "Hey, Cara. I'm doing great. How have you been?"

The hostess grinned back. "Same old, same old. Table for three, I'll assume?"

Lightning nodded. "Thank you very much."

"Of course. If you'll just follow me." Cara sat them down and took their drink orders, Lightning ordering an apple martini, Serah ordering a glass of water with lemon, and Snow ordering a glass of champagne. While they waited for their drinks, they talked.

"So, Claire. What have you been up to?" Serah asked.

Lighting shrugged. "Nothing's really changed. I've just been working."

Serah rolled her eyes. "Really? That's it? Nothing new? Nothing exciting?"

"Not really."

At that moment, Cara returned with their drinks, than took their food orders, Lightning ordering a steak, medium-rare, Serah ordering a grilled fish filet, and Snow ordering two Angus burgers. Serah continued to grill her sister about recent events.

"You're telling me you haven't done anything fun recently?"

Lightning nodded. "Nothing to tell."

"Oh, really? Well, how about dating?"

Lightning paused. "What do you mean?"

Serah cocked an eyebrow. "You know exactly what I mean? Any new significant other?"

Lightning's thoughts traveled to her favorite redhead. "Well…"

"There is!" Serah squealed. "Spill! What's their name?"

"…Vanille."

"Oh, so it's a girl? Ooh, is she pretty? Is she nice? How old is she?" Serah was bubbling over with questions.

Lightning smiled. "She's beautiful, she is the sweetest girl I've ever met, besides you, and she's nineteen."

"Oh, Claire! I'm so happy for you! I can't wait to meet her!"

Cara approached with their food shortly thereafter, and the rest of the meal was spent discussing Serah and Snow's life in Nautilus. They finished eating within an hour, and Lightning drove them both home. She walked them into the lobby and gave her sister a hug and a kiss goodbye, and gave Snow a firm handshake. She turned to walk out, when Serah's voice called her back.

"Oh, I totally forgot to ask this before, Claire. Did it bother you that Snow came with us?"

Lightning's face remained impassive for quite a few moments. Serah was starting to dread the answer before the older woman's face broke out into a smile. "No, it didn't. He's family now, after all. Good-bye." With a final wave, the soldier was gone.

* * *

The next week passed quickly for Lightning. Her sister and Snow had departed back to Nautilus, along with the rest of the commanders and top generals. She knew she would be seeing them soon, however, so she wasn't too sad.

The Bodhum Guardian Corps had directed most of their attention on gathering intel on the l'Cie camp they planned to liberate. As they discovered new things, the information was immediately passed on to Nautilus, as the Eden Guardian Corps had arrived there ahead of schedule. The Bodhum GC was to depart for Nautilus next week.

But more importantly, Lightning's first date with Vanille was in two days.

Lightning had already planned ahead. She had her outfit picked out, and a syllabus of what they were going to do.

She was not going to mess this up.

The only issue was that she hadn't told Vanille she was going to be leaving next week. She didn't really know how to tell the redhead she would be gone for at least two weeks. But, she figured she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

For now, all she had to do was wait for Saturday. She had already called the younger woman and told her to be ready at eleven o'clock sharp.

* * *

Vanille woke up slightly early on Saturday morning, 9:46 to be precise. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and stretched, trying to stifle a yawn that brought tears to her tired eyes. She trudged into the bathroom and started the shower, determined to force the fatigue from her body.

This date had to go perfect.

Fang heard her sister in the bathroom and smiled to herself under the covers. It was a little early for Vanille to be getting ready, or at least she thought. She hadn't been on a date in a while.

Vanille stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. She returned to her room and got dressed, than glanced at her clock. 10:12. She still had time to kill.

She eventually decided to simply watch T.V. while she waited. The minutes ticked by slowly. Fang got up around 10:30 to wait with her. They sat in silence, no words necessary.

Lightning walked across the sidewalk and was in front of their door at 11:00 on the dot. She rang the doorbell and waited. The door swung open to reveal Fang's slightly tired face, her raven hair tousled from recent slumber.

"Hey there, Light. Come in."

Lightning followed the slightly older woman into her home. Fang took a seat on the couch and Light sat on the opposite end. "Vanille is upstairs in the bathroom. She'll be down in a minute," Fang explained.

Light nodded. "Alright."

A short silence spanned, than Fang spoke again. "So, I don't have to read you the riot act or anything, do I?"

Lightning looked at her. "No, why?"

Fang shrugged. "Usually I have to. Some of the other woman Vanille dated were only interested in getting in her pants."

"Fang!" Lightning heard a squeal from up above and she stood and turned around to see the redhead descending the stairs. Vanille was wearing a white halter dress that hung about mid-thigh. Her hair was out of its normal pigtails and was hanging over her shoulders. On her feet, she wore golden sandals that had a strap running down the middle of her foot and one perpendicular to that one.

Lightning was stunned. She didn't know it, but Vanille was equally as stunned by the soldier's apparel. She wore a light blue collared shirt whose sleeves stopped at her forearms. The shirt was tucked into dark blue jeans, but pulled out slightly so part of the shirt hung over the jeans. On her waist she wore a tan leather belt with a silver buckle. And on her feet, she wore brown boots with a strap over the middle of her foot and two more straps on the calf.

Vanille reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped a few feet from the soldier. "Hi," she said shyly.

Lightning took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Hey."

"Ready to go?" Vanille asked.

Lightning nodded. "I am. Are you?"

"Yes." Vanille turned to Fang. "Bye, Fang."

Fang grinned. "Have fun, ya lovebirds. And Light, no trying anything on the first date, ya hear? I want her back by eleven."

Lightning gave her a look. "Seriously?"

Fang nodded, face serious. Then, she grinned again. "Nah, I'm kidding. Just make sure she at least gets back."

"Sure thing." Light turned to the redhead. "Shall we?"

Vanille nodded and headed for the door, Lightning following behind. As Light closed the door, she caught a final glance of Fang's winking face.

* * *

**A/N: And I shall end it there. Next chapter will detail their date, as well as Light telling Vanille about her leaving and Vanille telling Light some personal things. As to what those are, you shall find out when I update. Which shall be when you see a new chapter from. Let me know what ya'll thought. Please?**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	10. Dates and Revelations

**Author's Note: I have, once again, returned. Not from the dead this time, though. I have returned from somewhere in Limbo. Yeah, I have a LOT of out-of-body experiences. It's cause I'm awesome. Btw, this chapter takes place like a couple minutes after the last chapter ended. Literally.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Dates and Revelations**

* * *

Lightning held open the car door for her date, making sure Vanille's legs were all the way inside before shutting it firmly. It was taking the soldier a lot of self-control to keep her eyes from traveling up and down the redhead's legs. It wasn't that she normally stared, she wasn't like that, but something about the redhead made her want to.

Lightning walked around the front of the car and placed herself in the driver's seat, closing the door and starting the car. She checked to see if Vanille's seatbelt was on; when she was satisfied, she pulled out of the driveway and drove off.

"So, where are we going?" Vanille asked in a chipper voice.

"I'm taking you to an art museum that recently opened. I know the owner, and she promised a discount on entrance," Lightning answered.

"That's so amazing! How did you know I love art museums? Did Fang tell you?" Vanille gave Lightning a half-hearted accusatory look.

Lightning smiled softly. "No, Fang didn't tell me anything. I happen to enjoy art myself, and I took you as an art lover as well."

Vanille looked slightly surprised. "Oh. What made you think I was an art lover?"

Lightning shrugged. "I don't know. Just a feeling, I guess."

Vanille beamed. "That's pretty good! I'm really impressed!"

"Thanks."

The art museum was about twenty minutes away from their houses, so they pulled into the parking lot without any trouble.

Vanille observed their surroundings as Lightning attempted to find an open place to park the car. "Wow, this museum is a pretty popular place."

Lightning nodded absently. Finding an open parking space, she pulled in and turned off the car. She hurried out and to the passenger door, opening it to let Vanille out. Vanille smiled at the soldier as she exited the car. "Thank you!" Lightning nodded in response. Vanille then grabbed the soldier's hand and pulled her toward the museum, missing the smile that graced the general's features.

The pair spent the next couple of hours admiring the various paintings in the gallery. After they'd had their fill, Lightning took them to their next destination.

* * *

As they walked into the bowling alley, the welcoming sound of a heavy ball knocking over several pins filled the couple's ears.

Vanille sighed contentedly. As cliché as she knew she was being, she'd wouldn't want to be anywhere else, with anyone else.

Lightning approached the counter and paid for the two of them; they both put on their bowling shoes and walked to their lane. After sorting out the finer details, Vanille was up first. She picked up her dark pink bowling ball and let it fly down the lane. Unfortunately, all she achieved was a measly gutter ball.

"Oh no!" she cried. She turned around to see Lightning smirking at her failure.

"It's not funny!"

Lightning composed herself. "Of course not." The twinkle was still in her eyes, however.

She stood, stretched, and brushed past Vanille on her way to get her own ball, a full smile now evident on her face.

Picking up the ball, she brought it to her face and took a deep breath. Releasing it slowly, she swung her arm back, and shot it forward like a snake, the ball zooming down the lane to strike the middle pin dead-center, the rest of the plastic targets simply falling by the wayside.

Vanille gasped. "Oh, you got a strike!"

Lightning nodded. "I know."

Vanille pouted. "That's not fair! How come you're so good at everything you do?"

Lightning cocked an eyebrow. "Everything? It's just bowling, Vanille."

Vanille blushed. "Oh, well…I just…uh…" She had made the immediate assumption that someone as beautiful, graceful, and just plain amazing as Lightning was simply great at everything they did.

Lightning shook her head. "Here. I'll show you how to bowl more properly, if you'd like."

Vanille instantly brightened. "Yes, please!"

"Then stand up and get over here."

The redhead did as she was told. Lightning grabbed the dark pink ball for her and placed it in the younger woman's hands. "First thing you have to do is relax. If you get all nervous and jumpy, the ball is going to do the same. Think of it as an extension of your arm."

Vanillle frowned. "I don't understand."

Lightning thought for a moment. "Hmm. Well, have you ever wielded a weapon before?"

Vanille nodded. "Okay. Think of the bowling ball as simply another weapon, but small and round."

Vanille nodded again. "I can do that."

"Good. Second, take a deep breath before you get ready to bowl the ball. I suggest bringing the ball to your face like I did, and taking the deep breath there. When you're ready to start the swing, release the breath. That way, your energy is concentrated on only the motion and action of releasing the ball where you want it to go."

Vanille nodded a third time. Lightning stepped back to give the redhead some room. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Vanille brought the ball to her face, taking a deep breath. She held it for a moment, than released it, simultaneously swinging her arm back, than forward. The ball rolled out of her hands onto the lane. It was slightly off-center, but she succeeded in knocking down eight of the ten pins.

"Yay, I did it!" she squealed and latched onto Lightning in her joy, without thinking. Surprisingly, the soldier returned the hug rather quickly, and they stayed in each other's embrace for longer than a few seconds before releasing one another.

"Not bad. It wasn't a strike, sure, but it was a vast improvement to your first attempt."

Vanille frowned comically, and lightly swatted the soldier on the arm. "Be nice!"

Lightning chuckled. "I'm so terribly sorry. Forgive me?"

Vanille smiled. "Already done."

The pair spent the next hour bowling merrily, with Vanille finally getting her first strike, and Lightning bowling nothing but.

After finishing up, it was already late afternoon. Vanille hadn't noticed, as she was having way too much fun.

"So, what now?" Vanille asked.

Lightning, hands still on the wheel, turned slightly to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, where are we going now? Is it time to head home already?" She tried to mask the sadness in her voice.

Light noticed it right away and smiled to herself. "No, it's not the time. Not for a while."

Vanille immediately brightened. "So then, where are we going?"

"Dinner." Lightning finally answered.

She drove them to a cozy little restaurant, right off the beach. She'd already made reservations, and the host took them to a table outside, where they got a gorgeous view of the crystal blue ocean.

Lightning pulled out the chair for Vanille, and pushed it in again once the redhead was seated.

"This is so nice," Vanille started as the soldier placed herself into her own chair. They ordered their drinks, and the waitress left them.

Lightning hesitated, trying to think of the right response. "I…wanted everything to be perfect."

Vanille's eyes widened slightly, than she beamed. "Really?"

Light nodded. "It is our first date, right? That makes it special."

A waitress came by to take their orders. After giving them to her, the two sat in a comfortable silence, stealing glances at one another from across the table.

"So." Vanille broke the silence. "Have you lived in Bodhum all your life?"

Light nodded. "Yes. After our parents died, I didn't want to move Serah away. This place holds all of our memories of them, good and bad. It just didn't seem right to go anywhere else. What about you?"

Vanille hesitated. "Well, we lived elsewhere for a while. Things started to get tough, so we came here to get away."

Lightning noticed the hesitation, as well as the redhead's reluctance to talk about where they had lived specifically. She decided not to press the issue, for now.

The waitress returned with their meals, and silence ensued for a while longer.

"What kind of hobbies do you have?" Vanille broke the silence once again.

Lightning swallowed her mouthful of steak before replying. "Not much. I like to train, exercise, really anything that keeps me moving, I guess. You?"

"I love to go for walks, look at cute things, read, spend time with my loved ones," Vanille started gushing.

Lightning smiled as the redhead continued to list off all of the things she loved to do, which was a lot.

After a few minutes, Vanille noticed Lightning simply gazing at her with a smile on her face, and she stopped talking. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just love listening to you talk." _What the hell did I just say?_

Vanille blushed heavily. "Oh! Maybe you could add that to your list of hobbies."

Lightning looked shocked, than chuckled. "I guess I could."

The pair finished their meal, and Lightning asked for the bill. After leaving the money, and a nice tip, they left the restaurant. It was still light out; the sun had barely begun to set.

Vanille started heading to the car, but the soldier stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to walk on the beach?"

They started from the restaurant, and simply meandered in one direction, Vanille sometimes skipping ahead in delight, and Lightning maintaining an easy, constant pace.

The sun was really starting to set now, so Vanille suggested they sit in the sand and watch. They did, and Vanille started smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress.

They sat in companionable silence, for a while.

"I'm not from Cocoon," Vanille blurted out.

"What?"

"Before, when you asked about where I was from, I didn't tell you where. I should've, but I didn't know how to say it." Vanille looked down in shame.

Lightning caught the redhead's chin, and brought her gaze up to meet her own aquamarine eyes. "It's okay, Vanille. You can tell me anything."

Vanille sighed. "Fang and I, we're from Gran Pulse."

Lightning's eyes widened. "Really?"

Vanille nodded. "Yes. We escaped a few years ago, and lived in Palumpolum. The Guardian Corps there kept us protected, once we explained our situation. It was just a few months ago they decided we should come here."

"Why?"

Vanille shrugged. "They thought we'd blend in more. Commander Fair already knows about our situation, Commander Rosch filled him in."

"Why did they focus so much on protecting you two?"

Vanille stayed silent. Coming to a decision, she lifted the hem of her dress to reveal her left thigh. There in the upper area, was…

"You're…you're a…l'Cie?" Lightning could barely get the words out from shock.

Vanille nodded. "Fang is too. We were barely able to escape the camp Vayne held us in with our lives."

"But…how?"

"The others…that were with us. They…they banded together and helped us get away. To get a message to Cocoon." She wrapped her arms around herself and started to shake. "They died…to save us." Tears started to stream down her face.

Lightning instantly gathered the crying woman into her arms, holding her close. "I'm…I'm so sorry, Vanille."

The rehead simply sobbed into Lightning's chest, the tears refusing to stop.

Lightning slowly started to rock her, wiping the tears from her face. "You're safe here, Vanille. I won't let anyone else hurt you."

Vanille shook her head. "No! I can't have anyone else dying to protect me! Not you…" Her words faded, and she took in a deep breath, willing away the tears.

"You know, I leave in a few days. We're going to Gran Pulse to liberate a camp of l'Cie." Lightning figured now was as good a time as any to inform the redhead of her departure.

Vanille looked up at her. "No, you can't! It's too dangerous!"

"Vanille, it's my job."

Vanille looked down again, than turned herself so her back was leaning against the soldier's chest, one of her arms draped over one of Lightning's legs. A bold move, but Lightning didn't say a word in complaint. The redhead looked out at the waves, illuminated in the glow of the setting sun. "I know it's your job, Light, but you have no idea how treacherous those camps are. They set traps all over the place, and they're guarded heavily."

Lightning placed her chin on top of the younger woman's head, sighing contentedly. "Vanille, we deal with things like this often. We always go prepared. We've spent weeks mapping the area, both in and all around. We'll be okay. I promise."

Vanille started to protest, but stopped. "Fine. But, I'm holding you to that promise. If you come back hurt, I'll…I'll…" She trailed off, having no threat ready.

Lightning let out a laugh, not a chuckle, but a full-blown laugh. "You'll kick my ass from here 'til Sunday, I'm sure."

Vanille nodded vigorously. "You bet I will! And don't think I won't just because it's you."

Lightning pressed a kiss into Vanille's temple. "I would never think that."

They stayed that way for hours; the sun had set long ago, but the lights from various stores, as well as the moonlight, kept them out of complete darkness.

"Vanille?" Lightning slightly shook the redhead. Craning her neck, she discovered the redhead had fallen asleep in the soldier's arms, her breathing deep and even, in tune with the rise and fall of the general's chest.

Lightning smiled, and carefully picked the redhead up, her head nestled against Lightning's shoulder. She softly walked to her car and placed Vanille in the passenger seat, got into the driver's seat, revved up the car, and started home.

* * *

Fang walked to her front door and opened it, revealing a stern soldier carrying her little sister. "You guys are back early."

Lightning shrugged slightly. "No reason to stay out to all hours of the night."

Fang nodded. "Good thing, too, seeing as this one fell asleep already." She indicated Vanille.

Lightning chuckled. "Yeah, I hadn't even noticed until recently."

Fang walked closer, collecting Vanille from Lightning. "Thanks for not waking her up, Light. I appreciate it."

Lightning nodded. "Of course."

"And thank you for taking her out. She needed this."

Lightning hesitated. "She…told me. About you two. Where you're from, and such."

Fang frowned slightly. "So, you know. What now?"

"Nothing. I'm not going to parade around and shout it to the heavens, if that's what you mean."

Fang smirked. "Good."

"And don't worry, the Guardian Corps will keep you safe. Both of you. And any other l'Cie we may rescue along the way."

"That's mighty kind of you, Light. Good night."

"Good night, Fang." Fang closed the door.

Lightning walked the short distance to her house, unlocking the door and stepping into the darkness, a wide smile never leaving her face.

* * *

Fang walked upstairs to Vanille's room and pushed open the door. Approaching the bed, she laid the redhead down softly and pulled the covers over her.

Vanille mumbled softly and her eyes opened halfway. "…Fang?"

Fang ruffled her hair. "Hey, kid. You should go to sleep, you look exhausted."

Vanille yawned loudly. "O-okay…"

Fang headed back to the door, and started to close it, but stopped. "Oh, almost forgot to ask. How was your date?"

Vanille giggled. "It…it was perfect."

* * *

**A/N: Here it is. I know it's been a while, but I hope you enjoyed this update. Don't know when the next one will be out, but I'll try to update as soon as possible. Peace!**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	11. Spur of the Moment

**Author's Note: I decided to leave the actual Gran Pulse stuff for next chapter, so yeah. You know the drill.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Spur of the Moment**

* * *

"No, Vanille." Fang's reply was curt.

Vanille glared uncharacteristically at her sister. "We have to."

Fang crossed her arms and glared right back. Two could play at this game. "No, we don't. We don't have to be involved anymore."

Vanille threw up her arms in frustration. "Like heck we don't! We're already involved, and we probably always will be."

Fang shook her head. "No way, 'Nille. I'm not putting you in that kind of danger again."

Vanille's gaze softened. Even to this day, Fang still blamed herself. "Fang, it wasn't your fault. We knew it was going to happen either way, what with the decision we made."

"But…"

Vanille cut her off. "We can help, Fang. They'll be in far worse danger if we don't do something. Please?"

Fang simply stared at the redhead, deep in thought. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

Vanille nodded, determination set in her eyes. "I'm not afraid anymore."

Fang chuckled darkly. "Does this have anything to do with a certain General Farron?"

Vanille giggled. "No."

"Liar."

* * *

Lightning walked through the elevator doors, Tidus, Paine, and Cloud on her heels. Their destination was the meeting room near the top floor. The day had come for them to set off to Nautilus, and then Gran Pulse. They didn't know how long they would be on the lower world. Lightning had been expecting a couple of weeks at least, as they couldn't travel by airship the entire way; a large freighter, with dozens of soldiers as cargo, would be easily spotted and could be easily shot down in turn. No, this mission called for stealth and inconspicousness. Any wrong moves and Vayne's army would be alerted, not only putting the Guardian Corps soldiers in danger, but also the very l'Cie they were trying to save.

It pained Lightning to know that she wouldn't see Vanille for a couple of weeks, but this mission was of utmost importance. The redhead would understand.

It had only been a mere few nights since their date, and Lightning was still on a high from it. The way Vanille had looked in that dress, how it hugged all of the right curves…

She cleared her throat and pushed the thoughts away. Her mind was wandering into very inappropriate areas, and she'd do well not to be brimming with passionate desires while on such a critical mission.

They'd have plenty of time for things of **that** nature.

The elevator dinged, and the four stepped out. The meeting room was only a few doors away, and the door were already open, several soldiers making their way in. Lightning's group did the same, and they immediately sought out Commander Fair.

"Hey, you guys." the commander greeted them.

"Sir." Lightning nodded curtly. "What are we waiting on?"

The commander scratched his chin. "Our last minute additions should be here soon…"

Lightning cocked an eyebrow. "Last minute additions?" On such an important mission, was that truly wise?

"We're here." A richly accented voice reached the general's ears. No way…

She turned, and sure enough, there stood Fang. And behind her…

Vanille?

The two were clad in white and blue uniforms. The uniforms of Vayne's army.

"Why are dressed like that? What are you two doing here?" Lightning harshly asked.

Fang grinned and chose to ignore the first question. "We'll be joining you, of course. Why else would we be here?"

Lightning turned to her commander. "Sir?" She uttered only one word, but the question she wanted answered did not have to be spoken.

Zack held up his hands. "They volunteered, Lightning. I didn't ask them to be here."

She turned back to the sisters. "Why?"

"Because we know Vayne. We know how he works, we know what his moves will be. You guys are pretty much fighting blind out there, so we decided to help." Fang explained. "Actually, this was Vanille's idea."

Electric blue eyes fell on the redhead in question, a silent plea barely contained.

Vanille took a deep breath. "We used to be a part of Vayne's army. Protecting the people of Gran Pulse. He wasn't always like he is now. He used to be a good man. After Fang and I found out about his…more extreme measures, we refused to be a part of it. So, we were turned into l'Cie and thrown into the nearest camp."

Lightning's eyes widened at Vanille's revelation. "You…used to work for that monster?"

Fang stepped in to protect her sister. "Before he became a monster, yeah. Like Van said, he wasn't always like that. He used to really care for the people of Gran Pulse."

Lightning shook her head. "Fine. But why are you two dressed like that?"

"The soldiers he has normally don't take off their helmets. If we're dressed like them, we can infilitrate their ranks and feed you information only they would have." Vanille answered.

"No."

The general's answer was not spoken loudly, but it was powerful none the same.

Commander Fair wisely interjected. "General, I know these two are your friends, but they can help us in ways we can't help ourselves. They're right, any info they can get us can help us save that many more lives."

"No." Lightning refused to put either of them in danger, especially not Vanille.

Zack sighed. "General, I'm sorry. But, your personal feelings cannot interfere with the mission. They're coming, and that's the end of it."

She knew he wasn't wrong. She had no right to make decisions like that. In her mind, she knew that the two would be helpful beyond compare. But in her heart? Now, that was a different story. Sadly, she knew when she was beaten.

The general managed a defeated nod. "Alright, sir."

Zack smiled encouragingly at her. "Don't look so worried, Light." He turned to the rest of his charges. "Alright, listen up! The airship should be here by now. Gather the last of what you need and let's get going!"

"Lightning…?" Vanille reached out a hand to the general, but she turned away coldly and headed out the door to the elevator that would take them where they needed to go.

For the duration of the trip to the airship hangar, and the trip to Nautilus, Lightning spoke to no one. Everyone that didn't know her, but heard of her, wisely stayed away. Those that did know her, her friends, attempted to engage her in conversation but gave up when it was clear the pinknette was not in the mood.

Vanille had tried to approach the general on multiple occasions, but lost her will every time.

_Is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong?_

The redhead was unsure of what to do, but they would land in Nautilus soon. They had a night there before heading out to Gran Pulse, and Vanille would make sure to sort out any animosity between her and the pink haired soldier before they left.

* * *

The Nautilus Guardian Corps HQ was indeed vast; there was enough room to house every soldier, as well as house the several soldiers from each respective branch of the GC.

It was there that Vanille found herself, sharing a room with Fang.

"'Nille, are you alright?" Fang's voice broke through Vanille's thoughts.

"Hmm? Yes, I'm fine."

Fang didn't buy it. "Come on, Van. I know something's bothering you."

Vanille didn't speak, instead settling for shaking her head.

"It's Lightning, isn't it?"

Her eyes widened ever so slightly, but Fang detected even that. "I knew it. Go talk to her, Van."

"She's mad, and I think it's directed at me."

Fang shrugged. "All the more reason for you to go to talk to her."

"I…I can't."

"So, we're back to square one then, eh?"

"What do you mean?"

"In the beginning, you just ran away every time you got near her. It took you forever to actually speak to her. And then, you two got all gushy and declared your feelings for each other, even went out on a date. And now, you can't talk to her yet again."

Vanille sighed. "You're right. I need to talk to her."

Fang grinned. "Of course I'm right. Now go. Have fun, kid."

Vanille got off the bed and left the room. The general's temporary dorm was nearby. Each of the higher ranking officers got a dorm to themselves, and Lightning was no different.

She stopped in front of the closed door and knocked twice. There was no answer.

"Lightning? Lightning, it's me. Please, we need to talk."

Again, no response. She turned to walk away, defeated, when she collided with a solid object. She felt like she was going to fall, but a hand reached out and caught her by the waist.

"You alright?" She recognized the voice immediately.

"Lightning? I thought you were…"

The soldier raised an eybrow. "Commander Fair called a meeting of the generals to discuss our next step. Why?"

Vanille blushed. "Uhm, can we talk?"

Lightning didn't speak for a while. Vanille placed a cautious hand on the soldier's bare forearm, the contact sending electric shocks through both parties. "Please?"

Lightning nodded slowly. "Sure."

She unlocked the door to her dorm and stepped inside. Vanille hovered by the entrance, unsure. Lightning noticed and looked back at the redhead with a smirk. "Would you prefer we talked out there, then?"

Vanille smiled hesitantly. "Oh. I didn't know if…"

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Of course you can come inside, Vanille."

Vanille brightened. "Okay!" She skipped into the room, then remembered why she was there and sobered up.

Lightning closed the door behind them and leaned against the frame, arms crossed and looking _extremely _attractive in the redhead's eyes.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Vanille lowered her gaze, refusing to meet those electric blue orbs. "Today, you seemed…mad." When Lightning said nothing, she continued. "At me."

"I could never be mad at you." The words were spoken softly, but Vanille heard them loud and clear.

"Then, why…?"

Lightning disconnected from the door and approached the redhead, lifting her chin to meet her blue eyes. "I care about you so much, Vanille. You being on this mission endangers you, more than I'd like to admit. The thought of you being hurt…" She trailed off, her own gaze dropping to the floor.

Vanille placed her hands on the general's shoulders. "You don't need to be afraid, Lightning. I may not be as strong as you, but I can take care of myself."

Lightning nodded absently. "And I know that, but if I'm not there and you get hurt, I could never forgive myself."

Vanille forced the general to look her in the eyes. "If something does happen to me, it'll be my fault and mine alone."

"No. This mission is extremely dangerous, you said it yourself, Vanille. Any one of us could be killed. And I couldn't bear the thought of…of…losing you…"

Vanille shook her head, frustrated. "And what about you? You'll probably be in even more danger than me. You think I can bear the thought of losing you? But I respect you enough to believe in you and your strength. Why can't you do the same for me?"

Lightning stepped back slightly in shock. "I didn't…all I meant was…"

Vanille instantly regretted her words. Lightning was looking at her like a kicked puppy. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. But, I need you to believe in me, Lightning. Like I believe in you."

Lightning nodded. "I do. And I'm sorry if it sounded like I didn't. It's just…I've never felt this way about anyone else before. And knowing that you'll be in danger, and I can't do anything about it…it kills me, Vanille."

"I know. But, I want to do this. Fang and I, we **need **to do this. Our people need us."

The determined look in Vanille's eyes made Lightning's heart flutter. The redhead looked…simply **radiant**.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had Vanille in her arms, their faces mere inches apart. Lightning looked into those striking green eyes and saw a mix of emotions. Her face started to lower of her own accord.

_Is she…doing what I think she's doing?_ Vanille's stomach was producing butterflies left and right, but she realized something. She wanted this, had wanted it for a while now.

Lightning was ever so slowly getting closer, and Vanille's face tipped upward in silent consent. Then, their lips touched, barely brushing, but it was enough for Vanille to feel like she was on fire. Her eyelids slipped close, and she simply let herself get lost in the sensations coursing through her.

She felt the soldier start to pull away, so she placed a hand on the back of Lightning's head, allowing her fingers to tangle in the soft, pink locks. Knowing she stopped the general's retreat, she was filled with boldness and deepened the kiss with more vigor.

She would never have imagined the pinknette's lips to be so soft. The woman was rough around the edges, but her lips were gentle, caressing. Vanille's other hand wrapped around the soldier's neck and she squeezed softly, wanting to get as close as possible to the other woman.

Her legs were beginning to feel weak and tingly, and right on cue, Lightning's strong arms wrapped around her waist, keeping her upright.

Eventually, Lightning's mind caught up to her body and she started to pull away again. This time, the redhead released her, although her arms were still around the soldier's neck.

Lightning reached up a hand and lightly brushed her fingers along Vanille's cheek, the redhead's eyes closing at the contact.

"Vanille…" Lightning started to speak, but didn't know what to say. What does one say after something so...**incredible?**

Vanille placed a hand on the general's lips, shushing her softly. "It's okay, Lightning. You don't need to say anything."

Lightning smiled softly. "You know, my real name isn't Lightning."

Vanille nodded. "I know." She cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you mention it? Something wrong?"

Lightning chuckled. "No, nothing's wrong. Everything is perfect." She cleared her throat and thought for a moment, before speaking again. "Claire. My real name is Claire Farron."

"Claire…" Vanille tried out the word. It was so beautiful, so why had she changed it?

At the sound of the redhead saying her real name, Lightning was filled with feelings of ectasy. Only Serah still called her Claire, but somehow, Vanille calling her that just felt…right.

"But you can't call me that in front of the others, okay?"

Vanille nodded, smiling. "Of course…Claire."

* * *

**A/N: Alright. I'm cutting it off here. May seem like a weird spot to do so, but there ain't nothing left to do at this part, so yeah. The next chapter will be out when it's out, so stay tuned.**

**P.S. Wasn't that a perfect spot for a kiss? The night before the big stuff happens. Ooh, how excitimacating!**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	12. Liberation

**Author's Note: Hey, you guys. I hope y'all haven't missed me too much. If so, I am SO SORRY. Life has been monopolizing all my time. Also, I started a Resident Evil story, with an Alice/Claire pairing, and I had been focusing on that for quite some time. But, I figured it was time to treat this baby right again (also because someone helped to convince me to update sooner than I would have :D ) Here we go!**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Liberation**

* * *

Commander Fair walked the perimeter for the twelfth time. Deep in thought, he paid little attention to his soldiers' comings and goings. He knew all that was at stake; if they didn't go about their next actions with the utmost caution, a lot of people were going to die.

They had landed outside well outside the target l' Cie camp. Deciding to spend one night surveying the immediate area was an executive decision he had made right before they had taken off.

He hoped it would pay off.

"Zack?"

He paused in his pacing and looked up at the sound of his name. "Aerith."

The brunette came to stand in front of him. "Are you alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been pacing for the last hour," she replied.

He smiled. "Have you been watching me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He shook his head. "There's nothing to worry about. I'm alright, just thinking."

"About?"

He shrugged. "The next few days and what will come with them."

She nodded again. "Understandable. But, there's not much more we can do. We're here. We're ready. We can do this."

"I keep telling myself that. I'm pretty hard to convince."

She smiled slyly. "Well, let me help." Closing the distance between them, she kissed him softly on the lips, resting her hands on his chest.

Zack broke away and kissed her forehead. "I'll admit, that was pretty convincing."

She smiled. "I try."

He grew somber. "We can do this. We can't be any more prepared then we already are."

She nodded in agreement. "All that's left is actually rescuing them. Which we will."

"Right." He pulled away and took her hand, intertwining their fingers. "Come on. Let's go to bed. We need to be rested for tomorrow."

She nodded again and gave his hand a squeeze. "Lead the way."

* * *

"Are you ready for this, Van?"

Vanille took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm ready."

Fang took note of the determination in her sister's voice. "You've changed, Van."

"I have?" Vanille asked, confused.

Fang grinned, than nodded. "Yeah, ya have." At Vanille's confusion, she grinned wider. "It's not a bad thing."

"Well, how exactly have I changed, Fang?"

Fang rubbed her chin. "Well, yer more determined, that's fer sure. Yer also more confident, and more outspoken."

Vanille blushed lightly. "Thanks?"

Fang ruffled the redhead's hair. "Yer welcome, Van. That's what I'm here for." Fang took the helmet from the table and placed it on her head. "How do I look?"

Vanille giggled and placed her own helmet upon her head. "Probably something like this."

Fang chuckled. "Probably."

Vanille sighed. "I never thought I'd wear this uniform again."

Fang nodded. "You can say that again. I thought we'd hung up these things fer good."

"We're doing it for the right reasons this time," Vanille said.

"We are. We're going to save our people," Fang said.

"Fang? Vanille? Are you guys ready?" Commander Fair's voice drifted through the open tent flap.

"We'll be out in a second." Fang turned to Vanille. "Well?"

She nodded. "Let's go."

The pair walked through the flap, allowing the optics on the helmet to adjust to their new surroundings. Vanille winced slightly as she read everything the optics relayed to her. She had forgotten how much information she could gain on anyone; it had always made her feel like she was invading the target's privacy, regardless of whether it was for a 'good cause' or not.

Commander Fair took a good look at the two as they joined him and Lightning. "You two doing alright?"

The pair nodded.

"Prepared for what's ahead?"

Another set of nods. He shrugged and returned the nod, satisfied. His other generals walked up to them at this point, and he turned to them to finalize discussions on their plan of action.

Lightning kept her attention on the Gran Pulsians. "Are you two sure you want to do this?" Both Fang and Vanille heard the slight undertone of worry in the general's voice.

Fang reached up and removed her helmet, Vanille catching on and doing the same. "We want to do this, Lightnin'." Fang gestured to Vanille. "We spent too long bein' Vayne's pawns; it's time fer us to make things right."

Vanille nodded fervently. "Our people deserve better."

Lightning sighed in resignation. "I figured you'd say that." She fixed each of them in a steely glare. "You'd both better be careful. Fang, no taking any stupid risks."

Fang gasped theatrically. "What? Lightnin', I never take any stupid risks. I'm the most careful person I ever met!"

The look Lightning was giving her made Fang roll her eyes, but she grew serious all the same. "I promise, Lightnin'. Van and I will be extremely careful. I won't let anythin' happen ta her."

Lightning nodded in acceptance. "Good. I'm holding you to that."

Fang shrugged. "I'd be worried if ya dint."

Vanille moved closer to the pinknette and placed a hand on her cheek. "You don't need to worry, Lightning. We'll be okay."

Lightning closed her eyes at Vanille's touch and sighed. "I want to believe that, I really do. But I'm going to worry anyway."

Vanille smiled softly and pressed a kiss to Lightning's cheek. "I figured you'd say that."

Lightning chuckled a little. Pulling away, she fixed Vanille with an intense gaze. "Be careful."

Vanille nodded. "Of course. And you as well."

"Always."

Zack placed a hand on the general's shoulder. "It's time to go. Vanille, Fang, good luck. We'll be tracking your progress through your visors, and we'll be able to talk to you if you go to the isolated channel. We won't check in often, so you'll be on your own for most of it. Alright?"

The two Gran Pulsians nodded.

Lightning took Vanille's hand and squeezed it lightly. No words were needed to relay what she meant.

They would see each other soon.

* * *

"You ready?" Fang whispered. Vanille nodded and poised, ready to move when she needed to.

As the pair marched past, they quickly jumped into place behind them. They stayed far enough away to not be detected, but close enough to follow them to the target destination.

As the l'Cie camp came into view, Fang nodded at Vanille, and they attacked the two, quickly knocking them unconscious and dragging their bodies to stow behind a bush.

Taking their place, Fang and Vanille strode into the camp with confidence. They saw a higher-ranking member beckoning to them, so they approached.

"Krantz, Wolffe, how'd it look? Any disturbances?"

Vanille shook her head. "No sir, all clear."

The sergeant paused. "Wolffe? Your voice…it sounds different."

"Apologies, sir. I have a cold," Vanille said without skipping a beat.

The sergeant nodded. "Ah, it got you too? I swear, so many of us are getting sick. You'd think with the kind of medicine we have access to, we wouldn't. I can't believe we still don't have a cure for the common cold." He shook his head. "Anyway, why don't you two head back to your tent? We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, sir?" Fang asked cautiously.

The sergeant sighed. "I don't like it, but we have our orders. We take out the l'Cie tomorrow." Stretching his neck, he toyed with his gun. "I just, I don't understand. These l'Cie haven't done anything to us, not yet. They're just scared. But, I don't make the calls around here. Vayne does, and we just have to carry them out." He looked at the pair. "Don't, ah, don't tell anyone about that, would you? I don't want to be accused of treason. Vayne's getting more paranoid every day, and I'd rather not be on the receiving end."

The two nodded. "Our lips are sealed, sir."

"Good." He put a hand to his helmet. "This is Sergeant Ljonsal, reporting in. Wolffe and Krantz didn't find anything. We're calling it a night." He addressed the pair. "Get some sleep. You'll need it."

They hurried to their designated tent. Removing her helmet, Vanille looked worriedly at Fang. "They have orders to kill all the l'Cie? This is worse than we thought. What are we going to do?"

Fang shrugged. "Let me ask Zack." She switched to the isolated channel. "Zack?"

"_What is it, Fang?"_

"We have a problem. We just checked in with a sergeant. He told us that tomorrow, they're plannin' on killin' all the l'Cie."

"…_That is a problem."_

"What are we gonna do? We only have a few hours to rescue them, else they'll all be dead."

He was quiet for a few minutes. _"Okay. Here's what we're gonna do…"_

* * *

"Van? Come on, it's time." Fang gently shook her younger sister, rousing her from her light sleep. Vanille yawned and stretched.

"Already?"

Fang nodded. "Yeah. We need ta rendezvous with the others."

Vanille nodded and followed Fang out the flap.

The darkness of the night was accompanied with a heavy silence. When she squinted, Fang could just make out the circle of torches that encircled the area where the l'Cie were held. In just a short time, they would liberate them all.

They sprinted quickly to the point of rendezvous, and Vanille cast a quick Fire spell to signal their arrival.

Their allies materialized from the trees. "Fang? Vanille?" Zack walked up to them. "Is everything ready?"

Vanille nodded. "All set."

Zack nodded in return, his mouth set in a grim line. "Okay. Let's move, and hope to Etro this works."

Fang led the pack to their target, careful to quietly skirt around tents that held other members of the army. She pointed at the torches, mere feet away from their current position. "There. That's where they're keepin' 'em."

Zack followed her finger. "Okay. Remember, as quiet as we can, until the others are alerted. Then, weapons free."

The group set about their tasks. Quietly, each member approached a chained l'Cie and cut them loose, leading them away to a safe zone where several other members watched over them protectively until everyone was free.

_Attention! The l'Cie are being set free! All hands, get to the enclosure and ensure we do not lose them!_

The announcement blasted in everyone's ears, and the GC members lost all notions of quiet. Shouts between allies filled the air, as did gunfire. All hell broke loose then.

Amidst the chaos, Vanille was still freeing those within her reach, Fang watching like a hawk close by, taking out any who dared to get too close. "Van!" she roared over the noise. "You need ta hurry!"

"I'm trying!" she huffed, setting another free.

"Wolffe, Krantz!" Fang turned quickly, only to receive a rifle to the face, knocking off her helmet. She tumbled down, but quickly sprang up, weapon at the ready.

It was Sergeant Ljonsal. "What the _hell _are you two doing?!" he yelled.

"We're lettin' them go!" she snarled.

He scoffed and pulled off his helmet as well. "You two are going to get yourselves killed, pulling a stunt like this!"

Fang almost dropped her rifle in shock. "_Squall?!"_

Squall Leonhart nodded, his face grim. "What are you doing back here, Fang? And Vanille?"

She shook her head. "Whaddaya think?"

As she said it, Vanille cried out, having caught a stray bullet in the shoulder.

"VAN!" Fang cried. She ran to her sister's side. Vanille was gripping her shoulder, breathing heavily.

"I'm alright, Fang!"

"Like hell you are! Come on!" She pulled Vanille to her feet, supporting her carefully. She turned to Squall. "Cover us!"

He nodded and placed his helmet back on his head. "Let's move."

The trio started weaving through the bodies of fallen soldiers, Fang intent on making it back to the meet up point before her younger sister bled out.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I stop it here. I hope you enjoyed. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but it will be. Sometime. Eventually. BYEEEEEEEEEE!**

**-DeanneYunFarron**

**P.S. Anyone know Icelandic? **

**P.P.S. For those that don't, 'Ljonsal' is Icelandic for (I think :D ) 'lion soul'. Which is **_**kinda**_** like Leonhart. Except not really :P I tried…**


	13. A Mission Accomplished

**Author's Note: I'm baaaaaack! How's errybody doin' today? Good? GOOD! As for me, I'm doin' purty damn FANTASTIC! Yeah, life is good right now. Real gooooooood….Anywho, I hope y'all enjoy this update that I got right up in heer. I hear she's a good 'un. Yeah, I'm gonna stop talking like this now. BYE.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: A Mission Accomplished**

* * *

Vanille coughed again, a small dribble of blood falling from her lips.

Fang quickly spotted a relatively safe spot and lowered her sister to the ground, carefully. "Van! Are you alright?"

Vanille mustered the strongest smile she could. "I'm o-okay."

Fang wasn't fooled for a second. "Like hell! Just hold on, okay? We'll be there real soon, I promise! Just a little longer!"

Squall kneeled down next to the pair. "Come on. We don't have any more time to waste. We need to get her to your medic."

Fang thought for a moment. "Wait! We're l'Cie! I was never good at healin' magic, but can't you do somethin'?!"

Squall shook his head grimly. "It wasn't a clean shot. If I heal her now, the bullet will simply stay there, and that could be a potentially large problem in the near future."

Fang scowled. "Damn!"

Vanille reached out weakly. "It's okay…Fang. I'm…alright."

An explosion sounded nearby, and the older Gran Pulsian looked up to see an opposing soldier standing a few yards away and aiming a launcher in their direction. She turned to yell at Squall. "Squa-!"

Squall was already gone, his gunblade drawn and currently sticking out of the enemy, the launcher falling to the ground. He turned back to Fang. "Go! I'll be right behind you!"

Fang quickly looked Vanille over. The poor redhead was barely able to keep her eyes open and her breathing was growing shallower. "No way she'll be able to walk now," Fang muttered to herself.

Ever so gently, she lifted up her younger sister in her arms. "Hold on, Van!"

Sensing a break in gunfire, she sprinted from their temporary cover in the direction of the rendezvous. Only moments after she'd departed, a hidden mine exploded.

* * *

"LIGHTNIN'!"

The general elbowed her opponent in the gut and quickly followed with a slash to the neck, his lifeblood splattering her face. She turned at the sound of her name and gasped lightly.

Fang was sprinting toward her, holding an alarmingly pale Vanille. She also noted that the redhead's left shoulder was coated in blood, both dried and fresh.

"Fang, what the _hell _happened?!" she cried.

"What the hell do you think happened?! My sister was shot!" Fang bit back.

Lightning ignored the sharp reply and jerked her head behind her. "The rendezvous is just over this hill, hurry up!"

Fang, without slowing down, began charging up the hill, Lightning on her heels.

As soon as they reached the top, Fang looked behind her quickly, and Lightning pointed to a tent in the distance. "That one!"

Fang and Lightning both tore through the tent flap when they reached it, and Fang gently lay Vanille on one of the beds. "Aerith! Rinoa! Get over here, quick!" She took a quick look around, spotting Tidus and Cloud on two other beds. Paine must have still been fighting, along with Snow and the other generals.

The two women in question rushed over to the bed. Rinoa faltered when she saw the state of the redhead's shoulder, but Aerith was all business. "Quickly, Fang, grab me that bottle of alcohol! Lightning, grab the pliers on the table! Rinoa, I need you to put pressure on the wound. We have to stop the bleeding."

Fang and Lightning ran to grab the items, while Rinoa nodded and pressed down on Vanille's shoulder. The redhead cried out and began to whimper.

"VANILLE!" Fang stormed over with the alcohol hanging from her hand. "Yer hurtin' her, Rinoa!"

Aerith rounded on Fang, determination setting her eyes ablaze. "Fang, you need to calm down! Removing a bullet is not easy, and yes, it's going to hurt! But, if you want her to live, we need to do this!"

Fang looked ready to argue, but Lightning placed a hand on the Gran Pulsian's shoulder. "Fang, she's right. You need to relax. We're going to save her."

Fang tensed for a minute, then relaxed and handed over the bottle. Aerith checked the label and took the pliers from Lightning. "I hate to do this to you two, but I need you to leave."

"What?" Both Lightning and Fang responded simultaneously.

"I can't work properly with you two breathing down my neck. If I'm going to keep her alive and save her from losing a limb, you two need to go. Now."

Fang took one last look at Vanille and nodded. She didn't like it, but she understood. "Okay. We'll be right outside."

When the two women left, Aerith looked at Vanille. The redhead's eyes were struggling to stay open. She walked to stand beside her and placed a hand on her forehead. "Vanille, honey? I'm sorry about this, but it's going to hurt. A lot."

* * *

Fang winced again as she heard her younger sister cry out for the third time. "They're killin' her in there!" She jumped up. "Vanille!" She went to run back inside, but Lightning hooked her arms under the older woman's armpits.

"Fang, what are you going to do?" she asked forcefully.

Fang struggled out of Lightning's grip. "I'm goin' ta save her!" She tried again, but Lightning clotheslined her and she tumbled into the dirt.

"There's nothing more either of us can do!" she yelled. "We're not healers! Let Aerith and Rinoa do their jobs!"

Fang jumped up from the dirt. She was breathing like a chained animal. "I need ta do somethin'! I can't let her die!"

Lightning nodded, calming herself. "And she won't. Aerith and Rinoa are the best we have. They won't let her die."

Fang went to argue, but just sighed and kicked at the dirt. "Fine. But, I swear, if somethin' happens…"

"It won't. She'll be okay, Fang."

Fang nodded absently and sat down on the ground. Lightning slowly walked up to join her. The general pulled out her gunblade and began using the dirt around them to clean the blood off.

"What are you doin'?" Fang asked.

Lightning shrugged. "I need to do something. All this waiting is making me go a little insane."

Fang chuckled darkly. "I know what you mean."

The two lapsed into silence. The seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes into hours. Finally, Aerith walked out of the tent and beckoned to them.

They approached her. "We got the bullet out."

Fang's face broke out into a wide smile. "Good. So she's okay?"

"Almost. Unfortunately, we've run out of stitches, so I don't have any way to close the wound."

"That won't be a problem."

The three women turned to the source. Squall was briskly walking toward them, sheathing his gunblade. He nodded at them as he passed, and headed straight into the tent.

Aerith and Lightning looked at Fang, then at each other. "Was that…?"

Fang nodded. "That was Squall, yeah."

They looked back at her. "How do you know Squall?" Aerith asked.

Fang shook her head. "Long story. Not now." She started toward the tent. "I'll explain later," she called over her shoulder.

Squall was standing next to Vanille, surveying her shoulder. He glanced up when Fang walked in. "Fang. Is the bullet out?"

Fang nodded. "Yeah. Aerith got it out not too long ago."

"Good. I can start healing her."

He held his hands out over the open wound, and a green aura began to glow, covering Vanille's entire shoulder.

Only then did Fang look to her left to see Rinoa sitting on a vacant bed, her hands gripping the edge tightly. Fang hurried over to her, noticing the far-away look in her eyes.

"Rinoa?"

She blinked rapidly a few times and looked at Fang. "Oh, Fang."

Fang frowned. "You alright?"

She smiled softly. "I don't know…Squall is here. I never…I never thought I'd see him again."

Fang glanced back at Squall. "Huh? You know him?"

She nodded. "I do. We were-."

The green aura faded and Squall stepped back, gesturing to Fang. Fang placed a reassuring squeeze on Rinoa's shoulder and rejoined the man.

"She's stable now. Shouldn't be too long before she reawakens."

"What about her shoulder?"

He shrugged. "She'll have full use of it again. As to how long that'll take, that depends on her."

Fang sighed. Her sister was alright.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight. Yer a member of the Guardian Corps?"

Squall nodded.

"But you were captured by Vayne, and that's why you were in the camp with me and Van?"

Squall nodded again. "We were on another mission similar to this one, when I was caught off guard. They kept me locked up for months before branding me and forcing me into the camp."

"But I thought there were no survivors from when Fang and Vanille escaped?" Zack asked.

Squall shrugged. "I didn't expect it either. I remember them shooting us, shooting me and everything going black. When I woke up, everybody else was dead. The clean-up crew they sent found me and sent me to Vayne. He didn't want anyone to know that someone actually survived, so he threw me into his army after making me swear to be silent."

"Why didn't he just kill you right then?" asked Lightning, ever so practical.

"I'm not entirely sure. Vayne's reasons are his own."

"Guys? Vanille's awake, and is asking for you," Aerith said as she poked her head out of the tent.

Commander Fair, General Farron, Fang and Squall went to join her, but Rinoa came out next and motioned to Squall. "Can I…talk to you?"

Squall hesitated, than nodded. "Sure."

The pair walked off in another direction, while the remaining trio entered the tent. As soon as they walked in, Vanille brightened and tried to sit up. "Guys!"

Aerith swiftly placed a hand on the redhead's good shoulder. "Vanille, you need to stay lying down. I don't know how l'Cie magic works, but I don't want you reopening the wound."

Vanille rolled her eyes. "I already told you, the healing magic cured it completely. I'm fine now!" She waved the arm that was currently bandaged and in a splint.

Aerith fixed her with a steely look. "That may be, but just humor me, okay?"

Vanille sighed. "Fine."

The other woman smiled sweetly. "Thank you."

"Van, how are you feeling? Really?" Fang asked gently.

Vanille rolled her eyes again. "I'm fine, Fang! Promise! You know how l'Cie magic works. I'm just a little sore. Only a little."

Fang nodded. "That's good. You should really rest up, Vanille. You're probably tired."

The redhead shook her head savagely. "I'm not tired." As she finished, she yawned widely. "Okay, maybe a little."

"Get some sleep, Vanille. We can talk after you're fully rested," Lightning stated.

Vanille smiled brightly at her. "Okay."

* * *

"What will we do with them, sir?"

Commander Fair scratched his chin. "I'm not sure. I doubt they're too willing to trust us right now, given all they've been through. We can station them at the Nautilus HQ for now. Maybe, in time, we'll get them jobs. Let them help in more liberation missions. I'm sure l'Cie are more willing to trust other l'Cie than they are us."

"Okay. When are we heading out?"

"We'll leave as soon as Tidus and Cloud wake up." He turned to his general. "How is Vanille doing?"

"She's alright now. Aerith was able to remove the bullet and Squall used healing magic to close the wound. She's just resting now, though I suspect she'll be awake soon."

"And how are you doing, Lightning?"

She shrugged. "I'm fine, sir."

Zack narrowed his eyes. "You don't need to lie to me, Light. I'm your friend, remember?"

Lightning nodded slowly. "….I was scared."

Commander Fair smiled softly. Not many people knew, but those that Lightning allowed past her barriers, those she called friends, they were the most important people in the world to her, besides her sister. "I understand, Light."

"I thought…I thought I was going to lose her," Lightning whispered.

Zack placed a hand on his general's shoulder. "But you didn't. And that's what's important. You didn't lose her. She's alive, and she's safe."

"Zack?" Aerith poked her head out again. "Tidus and Cloud are awake." As she said it, a loud voice emitted from the tent, shouting merrily about how hungry they were and how their leg hurt. A quieter voice then rose to tell them to shut up.

Zack shook his head. "Of course." He smiled at Lightning. "Keep your head up, General." He walked past Aerith into the tent.

"Oh, and Light? Vanille's awake too. I don't think she ever actually went to sleep. Would you like to talk to her?"

"What about Fang?"

"They've already spoken." She turned her head back for a moment as a voice drifted out. Nodding, she smiled at Light. "She's asking for you."

* * *

"Light! I'm so glad you're here. It's so boring, just lying here," Vanille exclaimed as soon as the general walked in.

Lightning smiled. "I can imagine." Her face grew somber. "Vanille, are you sure you're okay?"

Vanille nodded. "I am. I'm not lying, I promise. The soreness is almost gone, too."

"Good."

Vanille looked over the general's appearance. She was covered in blood, some hers, some not. She looked haggard and slightly pale. "Light, you look awful."

Lightning smiled sheepishly. "It's been a rough day."

"Maybe you should lie down instead of me," Vanille tried.

"Nice try. We'll be leaving soon, so you'll be out of that bed in no time."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant. Both you and Fang have been asking me non-stop how I am. Have you even looked at yourself lately? And Fang looks just as bad."

"Of course we do. We were worried sick."

Vanille paused in her mini rant. "What?"

"You have no idea how scared she was, Vanille. She was ready to attack both Aerith and Rinoa because you cried out when they were trying to stop the bleeding and remove the bullet."

Vanille giggled. "Oh, Fang. She never changes."

Lightning cocked an eyebrow, so Vanille explained. "Ever since we were little, anyone who's ever caused me any amount of pain, intentional or not, would have to answer to her. And she was never nice about it either. I can't tell you how many times she'd have to explain to the matron why someone's nose was bleeding, or why someone else had a black eye. She's so overprotective, and it was suffocating at times."

Lightning understood. She'd do the same for Serah, and more.

"What about you, Light?"

"What about me?"

Vanille smiled innocently at her. "You said you were both worried sick."

Lightning smirked. "Are you looking for something, Vanille?"

"Me? Oh, no."

Lightning's face grew serious. "I thought…you were going to…"

Vanille shook her head. "I'm not, Light. For one, I'm stronger than I look. And two, it was only a shoulder wound. Besides, l'Cie magic can heal almost anything."

"And what if it had been one of those that it can't heal? What then?" Lightning's tone was more forceful than she intended.

Luckily, Vanille either didn't notice or didn't care. "It wasn't. So stop worrying."

"But…"

Vanille raised a hand to cut her off. "Do you remember what I told you the night before we left?"

"That I needed to believe in you like you believed in me."

Vanille nodded. "You're not doing the best job at that right now."

"I'm sorry. I'll try harder, I will."

Vanille brightened. "Good. Now, when are we leaving?"

Her stomach let out a huge rumble, and her cheeks reddened.

Lightning laughed. "Soon. But maybe we should get you some food first."

* * *

"_The ship is ready for your arrival. When you land, we'll depart."_

"Sounds good, Commander Rosch. Thank you."

"_I'll see you all soon."_

Zack cut the connection and turned to his three generals. "Let's get everyone on board. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get home."

"Are they ready for us, Commander?" Cloud asked.

Zack nodded. "They are. Hopefully, we'll be able to fit all of our new tenants on this smaller airship; the _Claymore _can handle them no problem."

Tidus took a look at all of the people. "Maybe we should make two trips?" he suggested.

Zack smiled. "Nah. No need. Everyone will just have to get nice and comfortable with one another." He raised his arms to get everybody's attention. "Could everyone pay attention please? I hope you've gotten to know the people standing next to you, because for the next half hour, you're going to be quite close to them physically, as this ship is not necessarily equipped to handle such a large crowd. My four generals here will help you file in and get settled."

Lightning, Paine, Tidus, and Cloud began to usher people in.

Zack watched the influx of faces, both familiar and not. They'd done a good thing today. They'd lost a few people, and Vayne was probably going to come after them with a vengeance, but that was a worry for another day.

As far as he was concerned, mission accomplished.

* * *

**A/N: Aaaaaaaaand done. I hope y'all liked it. Leave a review, would ya? I kinda miss hearing from you guys :D**

**-DeanneYunFarron**

**P.S. I'm not entirely sure how to deal with gunshot wounds, cause I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever been shot, so…yeah. I did my best, ya know?**


	14. Reflection

**Author's Note: Hey guys. I know, it's been like a month and a half. So, I'll just stop talking and let ya get to it, yeah?**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Reflection**

* * *

Her eyes snapped open and she shot up from the bed, her knife held out in front of her protectively. Sensing no one else in the room beside herself, she relaxed her guard and placed the knife back underneath her pillow. She swung her legs off of the bed and they lightly came into contact with the floor. The chill that ran up through her spine from her feet made her shiver slightly. Rolling her neck, she massaged the muscles there in an effort to alleviate the kink she'd awakened with. With a soft sigh at her success, she slowly lifted herself off of the bed and padded toward her kitchen, the telltale rumble of her stomach leading her steps.

The house was dark, so it must have only been about 3 A.M., at the latest. The one thing she had had trouble with when she got the house to herself was the total darkness, as well as the absolute silence. Before, when her sister lived with her, there had always been a light on, either in the kitchen, or the hallway; Serah had a habit of tripping over her own feet when she couldn't see right in front of her. Also, her sister was a rather loud person, especially when she was tired. Serah would always smack her when she mentioned it.

She herself had no trouble with the dark, or with silence for that matter; her intense training at the hands of the Guardian Corps had instilled that into her. It was simply the fact that the empty feeling of the house always reminded her that not only was her sister gone, but it was her own fault.

Lightning had hated the house for weeks after Serah left. So much, in fact, that she had decided to spend all of her time at the GC HQ. That was the reason she was banished from there for a few days. She had hated Amodar pretty strongly for what he did. The rage only lasted for a few hours anyway. No matter what he did, she could never stay angry at that man, because deep down in her heart, he had found a way to become the father that she had lost so many years ago. And she knew that every decision he made in terms of her was only for her own good.

He was always right, anyway. Besides, if she hadn't been told to stay away, she may have never met Vanille. Although the young Pulsian did live next door, Lightning was far from a social person; in fact, she still didn't know half of the people that lived in her neighborhood, and she had been there all her life.

She inherited the house from her parents. Originally, the government planned on seizing the house and sending her and Serah to foster care, as she was approaching her sixteenth birthday when her parents passed. Thankfully, Amodar had been best friends with her father, and was able to convince everyone that she could take care of herself, Serah, and the house. All the government had required, after weeks of arguing, was that Amodar regularly check up on them to make sure everything was still in order. At the first sign of trouble, they would have stepped in and taken the house, while separating her and Serah.

She would never have allowed that to happen. And she didn't. She fought tooth and nail at every turn to prove to everyone, including herself, that she was more than capable of being a guardian to Serah. She knew she would never be able to attend college; there was too much money involved. So, as soon as she graduated high school, she had enlisted with the GC. While she was not quite eighteen yet, she had impressed them so much, not only with her prowess, but with her will and determination, that they had been willing to make an exception.

Of course, she had had to sacrifice so much to get where she was. She lost the last couple years of her childhood, and she had been forced to grow up far too quickly in order to accommodate for the fact that she and Serah were now orphans. People always said college were the best years of their lives; she had missed out on that too.

But, in the long run, she wouldn't change a thing. Sure, life had been unfair and unkind to both her and Serah, but they had made it through. They always did.

She took a long sip from the glass of water she held. She wasn't entirely sure why she felt so parched, but thankfully she had more than enough water to satiate her heavy thirst. That last sip had tasted so cool and refreshing, so she tossed back the rest of the water in it, then refilled her cup and gulped all of that too. She washed out the cup and placed it on the drying rack.

She slowly walked back to the stairs and took them one at a time. She was looking forward to getting back to bed for a few more hours. Contrary to what most people believed, seeing as she was always active, she never really got enough sleep. Many believed it was by choice, and sometimes it was. But, most of the time, she was just so busy. So, she truly cherished the times when she could get several hours of uninterrupted rest.

She was just about to turn into her room when she had to make a beeline for the bathroom. She really shouldn't have drunk all that water so quickly.

* * *

Vanille really envied Fang's ability to sleep whenever and wherever sometimes. Especially now, as she lay awake in her bed, willing sleep to come and take her away. She didn't know why her body decided to be uncooperative this night; she supposed it may have had something to do with all that had happened to her recently. She and Fang had helped to liberate an entire camp full of l'Cie, as well as reunite with a former friend thought long dead. Not only that, but she'd been shot.

She rubbed her hand over the area; while l'Cie magic did heal wounds completely, they always left a faint pink scar. The skin under her fingers was also slightly raised; it was a scar she would carry forever. A tribute to what took place. A victory that marked many more to come, hopefully. In the months that she'd spent in Vayne's camp, she had come to the conclusion that they were impossible to escape from, and impossible for any help to come in from the outside. The day she and Fang escaped, they had proven her first theory wrong. And now, with their recent quest, they had proved the second one wrong as well. She and Fang had been crucial allies in that aspect, as well as all of the Guardian Corps soldiers. The l'Cie that they freed may never trust any of them, but they did owe them their lives.

Not that she would hold that over them or anything. It was simply a fact.

A loud snore floated under her door frame and Vanille chuckled lightly. Her sister could be a lot to handle at times, but there was no one that cared about her as much as Fang did.

Well, maybe one other person, now.

Vanille remembered the very first time she laid eyes on the stoic general. It had nearly taken her breath away. She also remembered how long it took for her to actually be able to speak in coherent sentences around her. She remembered the night that Lightning saved her life. She remembered the words that Fang had relayed to her, supposedly from Lightning herself. She remembered that feeling of heartbreak, followed quickly by anger and disbelief. She remembered finding Light passed out on her driveway, and helping her into Vanille's house, letting her sleep in her own room. She remembered their talk, as well as their breakfast together. She remembered their first date, and their first kiss.

All of those things that led to where she was now: someone who was braver than she was before, someone who was more determined. Fang had noted it outright, but she could tell the others had noticed it too. And they, along with herself, associated it with a certain pink-haired soldier.

She didn't know exactly when she began her metamorphosis, but she was glad it happened. For far too long, she had allowed Fang to fight her battles for her, relied on others to protect her. She was tired of that. She was tired of feeling left behind by everyone else, tired of feeling weak, tired of feeling like she couldn't protect herself. But not anymore. Now, she was stronger. She may not have been all that strong physically, but she had always been mentally strong. Logic could win battles just as surely as brute strength.

She'd done it before, too. She couldn't count the times she'd outwitted Fang, especially in gambling. There was a saying that went around in Oerba: "Never pick a battle with a Yun." There was also another saying, in regards to her own clan, "Never gamble with a Dia." She didn't really know what it was, but she always seemed to have a lot more luck than others. Of course, most of the time that she won, she'd end up returning the money or prize anyway, because it wasn't so much about the gaining of something, but more about the feeling that there was something she was good at.

She was also much more proficient in the use of magic than other l'Cie were. She felt so at ease with the flow of energy she could feel within herself, and she was easily able to transform that energy into a fireball or shock of lightning, as well as into a curative aura.

So, she wasn't all that physically powerful. Her body simply wasn't designed in that way, she thought. Lightning and Fang were more attuned to that kind of body type. Neither of them could beat her in logic or magic use. That was okay. They each had their strengths and their weaknesses; what was important was that they helped one another.

She felt her eyelids grow heavy and she grinned.

"I guess all that thinking put me to sleep," she whispered softly to herself. Her eyes slipped close and not long after, Oerba Dia Vanille was out like a light.

* * *

"The l'Cie are adapting rather nicely here in Nautilus," the hologram of Sazh spoke. He looked directly at Lightning. "Your sister has been surprisingly instrumental in helping them to get settled and used to being free."

Light nodded. "She's always been good at that kind of thing."

Sazh smiled. "Yes, it was very clear early on. Snow, on the other hand…well, I know the boy means well, but I'm afraid his intensity is scaring some of them."

Lightning snorted. "Yeah, he's pretty good at that. I can't say I'm surprised at all."

The dark-skinned man chuckled. "Ah, I'm sure they'll come around. Besides, they've got your sister to turn to. Sometimes, I'm a little amazed at how well she can keep him in check. Must be that Farron gene!" He laughed at his own joke. "Well, anyway, Light, I'm glad that you're doing alright. Serah sends her best, as does Snow. They say they'll visit soon."

"Thank you very much, Commander Katzroy. I hope they can make it soon."

Sazh fixed her with a half-hearted glare. "Now, Light, I've told you to call me 'Uncle Sazh'. I expect to hear those words coming from your mouth real soon, otherwise I'm gonna start calling you 'Claire'."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Goodbye, _Sazh._"

The older man guffawed. "I guess that's progress. Bye, Light."

The hologram cut off. Once she'd discovered that Commander Sazh Katzroy had been close friends with her father, she'd curiously sought him out. It had been a month since they'd liberated the l'Cie camp, and she was frequently traveling between Nautilus and Bodhum, along with the other generals, to help the Nautilus GC accommodate to the large influx of new residents. This had given her and Sazh quite a bit of time to talk, and in only a few short weeks, she'd learned a lot more about her father and the work he'd done in the Nautilus branch of the Guardian Corps.

Sazh had quickly grown on her. Had it been only a few months ago, and she would never have even bothered to approach him, let alone sit down and have meals with him. Yet, she'd changed a lot in a short time, so much so that she even surprised herself at times.

He was a good man; she doubted her father would have ever allowed himself to be close with anyone that wasn't so. He was funny and kind, as well as sarcastic. He was also wise and charismatic, although he probably couldn't have become commander of the GC without being just that. He'd entertained her countless times with his stories of the trouble he and her father would get up to. They'd known each other from a young age. She wondered why her father had never mentioned him before. Or maybe he had, and she simply forgot. She'd put her money on that last one; when her parents died and she alone was left to take care of Serah, many things of her past childhood were forgotten.

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. "Come in."

The door swung open and Commander Fair walked in. "How'd it go?"

"Commander Katzroy assures me that the l'Cie are getting along well. My sister and Snow are helping immensely with that. Well, Serah is doing most of it. Snow seems to just be scaring people."

Zack chuckled. "He sure is a lively one. Will they be coming to visit soon?"

Lightning nodded. "Sazh mentioned that they said they would try to soon. I don't know if he'll be coming with them."

"I hope he does. It's been a while since the old timer has had a break. He should really take a vacation here, and bring his son."

Lightning had yet to meet the infamous Dajh. All she was sure of was that the boy was apparently the cutest thing on the planet and was slightly obsessed with chocobos, even allowing one to live in his hair.

"Speaking of vacation, when was the last time you took one, Light?"

"Not too long ago," she responded airily.

"I wasn't referring to your forced one. When was the last time you chose to allow yourself some time off?"

"When my parents died."

Zack was barely able to catch the emotion in her tone; she was keeping her face impressively neutral. "Well, maybe it's time for one. We've all been running ourselves ragged this last month or so with trying to help the l'Cie get settled. We could all use the down time, I'm sure."

"What did you have in mind, sir?"

"Well, spring just arrived. How about we organize a day at the beach? Since I know how competitive all of you can be, we can even hold some contests and such. What do you think?"

Lightning shrugged. "I'm sure that would be fine." She did her best to contain any outward excitement. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been to the beach for a whole day to simply relax, and images of a certain Pulsian redhead in a bikini were filling her mind.

Zack smiled. "Then, it's settled. I'll round up the others. Your assignment is to go home and inform Vanille and Fang. They're basically part of the GC now anyway."

"Yes, sir."

"We'll plan it for, say, two days from now? That'll give me time to think up some contests, as well as organize things like food."

"I'll get it done."

* * *

"Vanille, why don't you head home early today?"

She looked up from the money she was counting. "Huh?"

Rygdea smiled at her. "I'm not feeling so hot today, so why don't we close up shop? In fact, take the next few days off, okay? You've been working yourself to the bone lately. You need a break. I can handle it myself for a while."

"Are you sure, Rygdea?"

"Yes, yes. I'll be fine. Now, go on home, honey. Enjoy your time off, and I'll see you next week."

Vanille returned the money to the cash register and smiled widely at her boss. "You're the best, Rygdea."

"I know, honey. I know."

She gathered up her bag and sent a wave to the older man as she left. The sun was already setting, and the sky was ablaze with colors. They really couldn't have picked a better place for her and Fang to relocate to.

She reached her home within ten minutes. The door was unlocked and slightly ajar; Fang would usually do that when they had visitors. Who was visiting them right now?

Her answer was given in the form of pink hair, which waved slightly as the head turned and smiled at her. "Hey, Vanille."

"Light! It's good to see you!" Not caring that Fang was right there, she walked up to Lightning and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug. Releasing the soldier, she looked into the crystal blues. "What are you doing here?"

"She just came by ta tell us that Zack is organizin' a beach day fer all of us," Fang answered. "Day after tomorrow."

"A beach day?!" Vanille squealed. "That's so exciting! We're going, aren't we Fang?"

Fang sighed. "I don't know, Van…"

Vanille pouted. "Oh, no! We are going! You may not like the beach so much, but I love it! So, we're going to go, and that's final!"

Fang held up her hands in surrender. "Alright, Van! You win, we'll go."

Vanille smiled sweetly at her sister, than turned back to Lightning, who had been watching the exchange with an amused look. "Light, will you be there?"

Lightning nodded. "Of course. It's been a while; it'll be nice."

"This is going to be so much fun!" Vanille threw her arms around the general again in her excitement, and Lightning didn't miss a beat as she wrapped her own arms around Vanille's waist. Fang just sat there and snorted at the scene before her. Her younger sister could act like such a kid sometimes.

The two eventually disentangled themselves and Lightning nodded at both Vanille and Fang. "Well, I should get going. Commander Fair just sent a message that he wants my help with planning, so I'm going to go to bed early."

"Why?" Fang asked.

"The way I figure, the earlier I get up, the earlier we can start, and the earlier we'll finish. I also need a new swimsuit, and I hope to buy one tomorrow."

"Oh!" Vanille piped up. "Fang, I need a new one too!"

Fang cocked an eyebrow. "No you don't, Van. We still have the one I bought you a couple of days after we got here."

Vanille blushed. "No, I tried it on a few days ago. It, uh, it doesn't fit anymore."

"Doesn't fit? What do you mean, it's practically brand-new!" Fang exclaimed.

Vanille blushed even deeper. "Well, the top part was…too tight."

Lightning reddened as Fang laughed. "Oh, so yer boobs grew? Is that what yer tryin' to say? No need ta be shy, Van, we're all girls here!"

"Fang!"

"I'll see you guys in a couple of days. Get to the beach at about 11 A.M." Lightning nodded again at Fang and gave Vanille a quick kiss on the forehead before heading out.

After the door clicked close, Vanille rounded on Fang. "Fang! Why'd you have to say that in front of her?"

Fang shrugged. "What? Light's a big girl, and so are you. There's no reason ta get embarrassed over somethin' like that!"

Vanille shook her head. "Ugh, you are so terrible sometimes!"

"And besides, she'd probably prefer ya in the smaller one anyhow."

"Fang!"

* * *

**A/N: Wow, it's late. I know there was a lot of reflection-y type stuff in this chapter, but I was in a very reflective-y type mood, so yeah. Anyway, I needed a break from all the action of the last couple of chapters. There needed to be a bridge between that story arc and the next one. Okay, well, I'm gonna go to bed now 'cause I tired and needs to sleep. Peace!**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	15. The Beach Games, Part I

**Author's Note: Heyo. Instead of going off about all the excuses I have for why I haven't updated in so long, I'll just keep it short. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: The Beach Games, Part I**

* * *

"What about this one?" Vanille held up another swimsuit. It was a very low-cut one piece, with an open back, and a very open front in Fang's opinion.

The older Pulsian shook her head. "Definitely not. Come on, Van, I already told ya what ya need." Fang held up the swimsuit she had in her hand. "This two-piece will have Lightnin' droolin' over ya!"

Vanille blushed. "Fang! I don't want her 'drooling' over me!"

"Well, why not?" Fang teased.

Vanille just rolled her eyes in response. "Never mind! And you're supposed to be helping me!"

"I am!" Fang grew serious. "Listen, Vanille, a one-piece isn't you, trust me. That's not a bad thing, but it is fact. I was kiddin' about the whole droolin' thing anyway. This two-piece would look amazin' on ya! Try it on, fer me?"

Vanille grabbed the green bikini top and bottoms from her older sister. "Fine! I'll be right out."

While Vanille was changing, Fang took the time to browse for herself. While she could easily pull off a one-piece, she preferred bikinis. She thought they allowed for more movement. And seeing as Zack was planning on having contests and such, she needed as much mobility as she could get.

"How do I look?" Fang turned at the sound of her sister's voice and she smiled widely.

"Ya look amazin', Van! See, I told ya it'd work!"

Vanille observed herself in the large mirror next to the dressing rooms. Even she had to admit, she filled out the green bikini rather nicely. "I'll get it!"

Fang nodded. "Good." The older woman held up a deep indigo bikini. "I'm gonna try this one on." She walked into the room Vanille had just occupied and shut the door. Vanille barely had enough time to browse an adjacent rack before Fang barged out of the stall. "Ya know, Van, I really don't thank Lady Luck enough that I have such a fantastic body."

Vanille giggled at her sister's modesty. "I'm sure everybody there will be drooling over you," she teased.

Fang nodded, oblivious. "Damn right they will! I mean, how could they not?"

Vanille shook her head. "Just change back so we can pay already."

Fang chuckled. "I got it, I got it. I'm sorry that I'm makin' ya jealous, Van."

"I'm not jealous!"

"Whatever ya say." Fang waved her away toward the cashier. "You go ahead an' pay. I think I'm gonna admire myself a little more."

Vanille went to the cashier and placed the bikini on top of the counter. "Just this, please."

The cashier nodded. "Nice choice. You headed out for a day at the beach?"

Vanille nodded brightly. "Yup! My friends and I are headed there tomorrow!"

The cashier whistled. "You're awful lucky, Miss. I wish I could be out there enjoying that fine weather, but I have to work." Vanille handed over the money and the cashier handed her the bag. "Have a fantastic day, and have fun tomorrow."

"Thank you!"

It seemed as though Fang was not quite finished admiring herself, so Vanille decided to take a quick walk outside to enjoy the sun while she waited.

She truly couldn't have been placed in a better city. The sun was shining most every day in Bodhum. One would've thought that so much sun would get boring after a while, but not for her. The sun matched her personality, and she loved it.

She looked into the bag she was holding and smiled widely. She couldn't have been more excited for tomorrow. Not only was she going to the beach, but she was getting to spend it with her new friends. And Fang.

And Claire…the redhead only hoped that the general would like her swimsuit. She was already sure whatever the pinknette would be wearing would suit her perfectly.

"Hey, Van!" Vanille was snapped out of her thoughts as her sister ran up to her. "Ya ready ta get movin'?"

"Yup! I would've thought you'd have been in there for at least another hour admiring yourself!" she joked.

Fang winked at her. "Nah, there's plenty of time ta do that back home."

* * *

"Come on, Fang! She told us to be there by 11, and it's already 11:30!" Vanille scolded Fang again.

"I just need ta pack a change o' clothes, Van! Would ya please relax?" Fang called from upstairs. "'Sides, arriving a little late is normal!"

"I didn't want to be late, Fang!"

"Well, why not?"

Vanille faltered. "Be-because I just didn't want to, okay?"

Fang's head popped into view, smirking at her. "Uh huh. Just 'cause your hormones can't wait to see Light all decked out in a bikini doesn' mean mine are too."

"Fang!"

Fang's quickly returned to her task, barely avoiding the sandal Vanille threw in her direction.

Vanille stood there fuming for the next few minutes until Fang finally came downstairs with her bag fully packed. "Ready to go?" she asked innocently.

Vanille smacked her in response, than smiled sweetly. "Yup! I'm ready!"

Fang snorted and held open the door. "After you."

"So chivalrous."

"I have my moments."

The friendly banter continued for the beginning of the ten minute walk down to the beach. Fang had suggested taking the car, but Vanille had firmly shut her down. She argued that the walk would do them good.

"But, what happens when we get all sandy and have a bunch of stuff to take back?" Fang asked.

Vanille shook her head. "We shouldn't come back with anything more than what we left with. Besides, you're supposed to be a fearless warrior and huntress from Gran Pulse. Hauling a tiny load like this back after a somewhat tiring day should be next to nothing for you."

Fang scoffed. "I _am _a fearless warrior and huntress."

"Then you shouldn't be complaining."

"Oh, Van. Sometimes yer words wound me so."

"You big baby!"

"I am not!"

"Are so!"

"Are not!"

"You two quite finished?" an amused voice broke in.

The two Gran Pulsians looked toward the source of the voice, startled. Commander Fair and Aerith were standing in front of them, similar looks of amusement on their faces.

"Wh-what?" Fang looked around quickly. "We're already here?"

Vanille nodded slowly. "I told you it wasn't that far."

Zack was wearing a simple pair of black swim trunks and no shirt, his muscled frame coated in a thin sheen of sweat from the sun beating down. Aerith was wearing a pink bikini top and a pair of white denim shorts. "What were you two arguing about?" she asked.

"About Fang being a big baby," Vanille answered before Fang could stop her.

Aerith chuckled. "Seemed like you were winning, Vanille."

Vanille laughed as Fang reddened. "Whattaya mean, Aerith? How could she have won? I am not a big baby!"

"Only a big baby protests being called such so vehemently," Aerith said wisely.

Fang went to argue, but just shook her head and sighed. "I'll jus' be quiet then, shall I?"

Vanille patted her sister's arm. "It's okay, Fang. You'll grow up someday."

The older woman snorted. "Where's everyone else?"

Zack pointed. The two followed his finger to see a fairly large group of people lounging around one another. "Aerith and I were just taking a walk, enjoying the sun. We'll start the competitions soon. I can only imagine how eager everyone is to get started."

"We'll see you there. Enjoy the rest of your walk!"

Zack and Aerith continued on their way, while Fang and Vanille headed toward the group. As they got closer, a person broke away and ran up to greet them. "Hey, guys! It's about time you got here!"

"Hi, Tidus!" Vanille indicated Fang with a smile. "This one decided to take forever to get ready."

Fang snorted again. "It takes a little time to look this good, Van."

"So you say."

Tidus grinned at them. "Well, you're here now. That's what's important. And Vanille, I think Light has been waiting to see you," he said with a wink.

Vanille blushed. "Is she here?"

Tidus nodded. "Of course. And if I may say, she looks _really _good in that bikini."

"Tidus!" Yuna made an appearance by lightly smacking the older teen on his head. "You shouldn't talk about Vanille's girlfriend like that!"

Vanille froze and stared at the ground while Fang barked out a laugh. "Girlfriends, huh? Didja know about this, Vanille?"

Yuna smiled innocently. "Oh? Are you not girlfriends, then?"

"Yeah, Vanille. Are we not?" a husky voice asked teasingly.

Vanille wanted to dig herself a hole and lay in it. She continued to stare at the ground while Fang greeted the newcomer. "Heya, Light."

"Fang. I would have thought you two would have been here earlier."

"Yeah, well, I needed ta make sure I looked good when I beat you in all the competitions today."

Light scoffed. "The one with the biggest ego usually falls the hardest, you know."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"Vanille? Is everything okay?" Light's voice carried a tinge of worry.

Vanille looked at the general's feet and slowly let her eyes drift upward, taking in the long and luscious legs, the white bikini bottoms, the toned abs, the white and blue bikini top, the curve of her surprisingly well-endowed chest and finally, the face, which wore a casual smirk.

"I'm-I'm fine," she squeaked. She could feel her face heating up, but she couldn't help it. Claire looked _amazing _in that bikini. "You look great!" she blurted out.

Lightning's smirk grew. "Thank you." Lightning thought she looked fantastic in her own right, wearing her light green bikini. It really brought out her eyes. "You look great too."

"R-really? Thank you!"

Fang nudged her. "I told ya, Van!"

Vanille rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. You were right."

"Always am."

"Hey, you guys! Think you could give us a hand?" Zack called. He and Aerith had begun setting up a volleyball net about twenty yards away, along with Paine and Cloud.

Tidus immediately ran over to help them, followed closely by Yuna. Fang winked at Vanille and smirked at Light before jogging after the others. That left the redhead and the general standing there, Vanille determinedly looking everywhere but at Light.

"Vanille, is something wrong?"

"Of course not! Why do you ask?" she responded quickly.

"Well, you seem to be avoiding all eye contact with me."

Vanille's eyes snapped upward immediately, meeting Lightning's amused electric blue gaze. "S-sorry. I'm trying really hard not to stare at you right now."

Forget the hole, she now wished and adamantoise would appear and stomp her out of her miserable existence. _Why did I just say that…?_

Lightning's eyebrow rose slowly. "And if I said I didn't mind you staring? Not even a little bit?" she said huskily.

Vanille's eyes widened comically. "I-uh, I'm sure I could…"

A few seconds later, Vanille suddenly found herself in the general's protective arms. One hand was resting on a toned bicep and the other had snaked its way up to tangle in the soft neck hairs she was coming to love. Light's eyes were slightly closed, no doubt enjoying the gentle caresses.

"Vanille…you really do look gorgeous in that bikini," she whispered.

Vanille blushed and giggled. "Are you staring, _Claire_?"

A feeling she had not experienced in years began churning in Lightning's lower stomach as she heard the undertone when Vanille spoke her name. Forgetting they were not alone, and not really caring, she pressed her lips insistently to the redhead's.

Vanille, taken by surprise for a moment, responded eagerly. The hand that was tangled in the soldier's hair tugged downward, wanting the pinknette to be impossibly closer. Lightning's arms squeezed her tighter, and as her back arched, she sighed.

They stayed locked in this embrace for almost a minute, until a loud wolf whistle caused them to pull away, albeit barely.

"Hey, you two! Wanna get a room or somethin'?"

Vanille rolled her eyes. Of course it was her sister. "Fang!"

"What? It was a hot kiss, sure, but do ya really want everyone else seein' it too?"

Vanille blushed heavily as Lightning chuckled. "Your sister is certainly a character."

The redhead could only nod, not trusting her mouth. The general's arms released her and she took her own back in kind. "The volleyball net looks like it's all finished. Let's head over."

Vanille nodded again and they started a leisurely stroll toward the others. The younger woman slid her hand into Lightning's, and Lightning intertwined their fingers before bringing their joined limbs up and placing a soft kiss to the back of Vanille's hand, winking at the redhead.

Vanille grinned and started running toward the others, nearly dragging Lightning behind her in the unexpected burst of speed.

* * *

Fang let out a battle cry as she leaped up and smacked the ball downward with all of her might, punching the air when it went crashing down into the sand despite Tidus's attempt to volley. "That's another point fer us, hell yeah!"

Vanille simply rolled her eyes at Fang's outburst. This had to be the fifth time, at least. "Fang! Stop showing off!"

Fang snorted. "Yer jus' mad that yer general can't compare to me!"

"Be careful what you say, Fang. Don't forget what I told you: the one with the biggest ego usually falls the hardest," the general teased.

"Ya keep sayin' that, but the score says otherwise."

Lightning's eyes narrowed. "That's only because I've been taking it easy on you." She cracked her knuckles and smirked. "No more of that. I'm pulling out all the stops now. I hope you enjoyed that feeling of winning, because you aren't going to feel it for much longer."

"We should probably just…" Tidus was slowly backing up, along with Yuna and Zack on Light's side, while all of Fang's teammates, Paine, Cloud and Aerith, did the same.

Vanille slowly looked at them all. "What are you guys doing, where are you going?"

"You're about to witness Light get really serious," Cloud answered quietly.

"Yeah, we'd prefer not to get caught in the crossfire!" Tidus laughed.

"Crossfire?"

Aerith gently tugged Vanille back with them. "Just watch, Vanille. You'll see what we're talking about soon enough."

Lightning turned to Vanille as she was pulled back and smiled widely at her. "I hope you enjoy watching your sister get put in her place."

Vanille noticed the tone was light and amused, but her eyes were a different story. The general's crystal orbs were aflame with an electric blue fire. The redhead didn't think she'd ever seen the eyes so…intense.

Fang snickered. "You guys are jus' a bunch of wimps!" She sank into a half-crouch, her own forest green eyes ablaze and her slightly longer-than-average canines bore in a feral grin. "I can take whatever Sunshine thinks she can throw at me."

Lightning's smile grew. "You'll be sadly mistaken, I'm afraid."

"Whatever, just serve the ball!"

Lightning tossed the ball high into the air. After crouching slightly, she shot up after it and delivered a smack that was heard around the world and the ball sank into the sand on Fang's side, blowing up an impressive cloud of sand.

Fang's grin faltered slightly before growing wider. "Heh, this'll be fun." She retrieved the ball and tossed it to Lightning, sinking back into her ready stance. "That won't be happenin' again!"

Lightning responded by throwing up the ball again and serving it in the same manner. Fang, however, was able to get underneath it and lobbed it back soundly, aiming for the exact opposite corner of the court that Light was on. "Ha! I told ya it wouldn't happen again!"

As she finished her jest, the ball smacked down a foot away. She turned quickly to stare at it, and then back at the general, who was standing opposite from where she had been just a second ago. She had one hand on her hip and an arrogant smile on her face. "You were saying?"

"What the hell? How'd ya do that?"

Lightning just shrugged. "I'm pretty fast."

On the sidelines, everyone was in awe, but especially Vanille. Fang had been too busy boasting to have been able to appreciate the speed of the general. She had practically been a blur, moving almost faster than the naked eye could see.

"Had enough, Fang?" Tidus teased from next to her.

Fang sent him a glare that could rival Lightning's. "Not even close." She turned back to Lightning. "Come on, Sunshine, we ain't finished yet!"

* * *

Fang put up in impressive stand, but Lightning's speed dominated her a dozen times over. Finally, the Gran Pulsian fell to one knee, slightly out of breath. On the other side of the court, Lightning was still standing, but her posture betrayed the mild fatigue she was feeling.

Fang stood back up and grinned at Lightning. "Alright, Sunshine, I give."

Lightning smiled back. "It's about time. But, you did last way longer than anyone else ever has."

"Well, I am pretty impressive, ain't I?"

"Whatever."

The two approached the others on the sideline. "Well done, Fang," Aerith said. "Keeping up with Lightning that long is far from easy."

Fang waved her hand. "Eh, I'm fast, I'll admit, but Sunshine here is definitely faster. Jus' wait, though. Pit us in a contest of strength, and I'll win, hands down."

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "Oh, really?"

Fang grinned at her. "Really. Jus' ask Vanille."

The general's gaze turned onto the younger redhead, who smiled softly and nodded. "As much as her ego doesn't need to be boosted, Fang really is the strongest woman I've ever known."

"I guess we'll have to test it, then."

Zack had walked away during the beginning of the conversation, and was now returning with a large rope in his hands. "Well, if you guys are talking about contests of strength, I had brought this baby along to play a little Tug of War."

"Perfect!" Fang snatched the rope and gave one end to Lightning. "Come on, Sunshine, jus' you an' me."

Lightning nodded and the two walked a little ways away again, taking up the typical stance of the game. "Zack, you wanna go ahead an' give us the okay to start?"

Zack was still looking at the hand that had held the rope in it. "I had meant for everyone to play," he muttered sadly.

Aerith placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Zack. We like watching. Besides, don't you want to find out what's going to happen?"

He visibly brightened. "I have to admit, I do." He went to the rope and draped a bandana over it. "This will determine who will win." He then drew two lines in the sand behind each women, the same distance away. "Whoever pulls the bandana over their respective line wins, okay?"

"We know how to play the game, Zack."

"Fang, be nice!" Vanille scolded.

Zack chuckled. "It's alright, Vanille." He walked back to the center of the rope and looked at Fang. "Ready?"

"Hell yeah!"

He looked at Lightning. "Ready?"

She simply nodded.

"And….begin!"

Fang immediately began pulling as hard as she could on the rope, gaining a large advantage early on. Lightning was initially taken by surprise; she'd never come face-to-face with such raw strength before. To her credit, she was able to hold her ground after the first burst of strength from Fang. Normally, she would play the waiting game, gauging her opponent's abilities while stealthily gaining the upper hand over time, but with Fang, that would not work. The older Gran Pulsian was prone to unpredictability of the worst kind, and as such, Light was not really able to read her.

She needed to shift tactics, then.

* * *

"Hey, guys!"

Those that were watching all turned simultaneously to discover a shirtless Snow and bikini-clad Serah walking toward them.

Aerith was the first to go approach them, giving Serah a tight hug first, and then Snow. "I was starting to worry you two weren't going to be able to make it."

Snow rubbed his head sheepishly. "Yeah, that was actually my fault."

Aerith raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How so?"

Serah came forward and placed a hand on her husband's arm. "He was rather torn about leaving Koda at home alone."

Tidus laughed, clapping Snow on the back. "Honestly, Snow? Why didn't you ask someone to babysit?"

Serah smiled. "We did, actually. That's why Sazh couldn't make it. He said that Dajh would have more fun with Koda."

"Of course, that guy can make excuses for just about anything."

"So, what's going on over here?" Snow asked.

"Well, Light and Fang are currently in a feud of sorts. Lightning beat her in volleyball, so now Fang is trying to get back at her in a game of Tug of War."

Snow chuckled. "Sis beat Fang at volleyball, huh? I'm not surprised. Still haven't found anyone that can beat her in a test of speed."

"Lightning is definitely faster, but I would have to say that my money's on Fang for this one," Paine commented.

Serah smiled, and then noticed the redhead who was hovering just outside of the group. "Who's this?" she asked Aerith.

Everyone except Snow and Serah smiled knowingly. "Vanille, come introduce yourself!" Yuna scolded lightheartedly.

Vanille blushed and quickly approached Serah. "Hi, I'm-."

Serah pulled her into a hug. "Vanille! I've heard quite a bit about you from Claire." She pulled back, keeping her hands on the redhead's shoulders. "It's great to finally meet you."

Vanille smiled. She could see what Lightning was talking about. Serah had a quality about her that instantly made people feel at ease around her. "How much have you heard, exactly?"

Serah smiled slyly. "Oh, enough." She turned back to Aerith. "So, how long have Fang and Claire been going at it?"

"About a few minutes, now," Aerith answered.

They all turned their attention back to the game at hand. Fang still maintained a lead, although now it was very slight.

* * *

"Come on!" Lightning grunted. She pulled at the rope again, barely gaining any leeway. "Come on!" she shouted louder.

On the other side, Fang grinned wolfishly. "Having some trouble there, Sunshine? I told you, you can't beat me in a contest of strength!"

The general immediately took advantage of Fang's momentary lack of focus and gave a sharp tug, this time succeeding in pulling it back considerably.

"Wha-?" Fang's eyebrows knit together. "Nice try, Sunshine!" Fang dug her heels into the ground and took a deep breath.

Letting out a battle roar, she gave one last vicious tug on the rope, pulling with all of her strength.

Not only did she succeed in pulling the bandana past her line, but she also heaved the soldier off of her feet. Lightning, surprise written all over her face, got a mouthful of sand as she landed face-first, sliding a few inches forward.

Fang dropped the rope and punched the air. "I win, Sunshine!"

Lightning lifted her head slowly, the sand falling from her mouth in a beautiful waterfall. She spat a couple of times to clear it all away completely, then stood and wiped her face off.

Fang approached her and stuck a hand out with a smirk. Lightning rolled her eyes, but gripped the hand strongly. "Nice game, Fang."

"You too, Sunshine."

The two women went to rejoin the others, and Lightning's face broke out into a wide smile as she spotted her sister standing next to Vanille, waving at her. "Serah?"

"Hey, sis! How are you?" Serah greeted as Fang and Light reached them.

"Besides getting to eat sand, I'm fantastic," the general responded sarcastically.

"Looked like it tasted great, Sunshine!" Fang teased.

Each younger sister smacked their older sister simultaneously.

"Be nice, Claire!"

"Fang!"

Lightning recovered first and smirked at Serah. "So, what are you doing here?"

Serah feigned insult. "I need a reason to see my favorite sister?"

"I'm your only sister."

"Be that as it may, Zack actually invited us. Said he wanted to surprise you."

The general glanced questioningly at the commander, who grinned at her. "It seemed like you missed her, so I figured, why not?"

"Thank you, Zack."

She didn't miss his grin growing wider as she said his name. She turned back to her sister. "Serah, may I speak to you for a moment?"

"Of course."

The Farron sisters walked a little ways away from the others. "What's up?" Serah asked.

"Vanille," Lightning said simply.

Serah smiled at her. "I like her."

Lightning visibly relaxed. "Good."

"Not that you need my approval for dating, Claire, but I'm glad that you consider my opinion. She's beautiful, like you said, and very nice."

Lightning was watching the redhead in question as they spoke, who was currently in an animated conversation with Snow. "She is, isn't she?"

Serah noticed Lightning's dazed look and snapped her fingers in front of her sister's eyes. "Earth to Claire."

"Huh? What?"

Serah chuckled. "You were staring, you know."

The general reddened. "Sorry."

"It's alright. So, have you two had sex yet?"

"Serah!" The pinknette could barely believe those words had come out of her innocent sister's mouth.

Serah shook her head. "Don't start, Claire. I'm not as innocent as you'd think. And you didn't answer the question."

"N-no, we haven't had sex yet."

"That's fine. Taking it slow is admirable. I can't tell you how hard it was to resist Snow…" she trailed off as Lightning glared at her. "Ah, never mind. My sex life isn't something we should debate right now."

"You're right. I don't want to hear about how my sister and her husband go at it like two Behemoths in heat."

"Claire!"

"It's not like I'm lying."

"Well, yeah, but still…anyway, is that all you wanted to talk about?"

The general nodded. "That was it."

"Good. Let's get back to the others."

The two sisters walked back to the main group. Zack spoke up as they got close. "Good, you two are back. It's time to start our next competition."

"And what's that?" Tidus asked loudly.

"Sand art!"

Vanille immediately perked up. "Really?" She turned to Fang, who had groaned. "Fang, this is great!"

"Fer you, maybe! I'm terrible at art!"

Vanille paused. "Oh, yeah. Well, maybe we'll get put into teams?"

"That's right, Vanille. Each of you will be in teams of two. Vanille, you'll be with Yuna. Cloud, you're with Tidus. Paine, you and I will be a team. And Fang, you'll be with Lightning."

Fang snorted and crossed her arms. "What about Aerith?"

Aerith smiled sweetly at her. "Can't, sorry. I have to go pick up the food. Serah, Snow, would you mind coming along?"

"Sure thing."

The trio headed off toward the parking lot.

Zack turned back to Fang. "Is there a problem, Fang?"

Fang uncrossed her arms and sighed. "No, no problem here." She took Lightning by the arm and lightly tugged her to an open patch of sand. "Come on, Sunshine, let's get this over with."

"Don't sound so enthusiastic."

* * *

**A/N: I hope the length of this one makes up for my prolonged absence. Which I am terribly sorry for, once again :D. Late.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


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